Argentina Man Arrested After Being Charged with Supplying Drugs to Liam Payne Before Singer's Shocking Death

A waiter charged last month in connection with Liam Payne’s death has been arrested in Argentina for allegedly selling cocaine to the late singer.

Braian Nahuel Paiz was arrested Friday, Jan. 3 at his home outside Buenos Aires, four days after Argentina’s National Criminal and Penitentiary Prosecutor’s Office charged him in Payne’s death, his attorney, Fernando Madeo Facente, confirmed to PEOPLE. He faces four to 15 years in prison.

Both he and Facente have maintained that Paiz is innocent, with Paiz telling local news outlet Telefe Noticias in November that while he and Payne took drugs together, he did not supply them and never received money from the star.

Liam Payne attends British Vogue And Tiffany & Co. Celebrate Fashion And Film Party 2023 at Annabel’s on February 19, 2023 in London, England.

David M. Bennett/Getty

Liam Payne death inquest: 5 charged in connection with One Direction singer’s late fatal fall

Payne died on October 16 at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor balcony of his hotel room at the CasaSur Hotel.

Facente, who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, called Paiz “innocent” during a Dec. 20 appearance on the Argentinian show Marian diary.

“He is spent [drugs] while. He says it openly,” said Facente. “[Paiz and Payne] talked about a lot of topics. In fact…he is a lifelong One Direction fan. He had affection for Liam and respected him. He took advantage of the opportunity, a meeting in the restaurant where he worked. They exchanged messages, had long and fluent conversations, talked about many topics. At one point they were talking about a personal meeting, a good time, fun, an intimate and private meeting.”

Paiz was among five people indicted by Argentina’s National Criminal and Prison Prosecutor’s Office on December 30. In a press release, officials announced manslaughter charges against the CasaSur hotel manager and receptionist, as well as Payne’s friend. The BBC identified the accused as Gilda Martin, Esteban Grassi and Roger Nores.

Prosecutors also announced that a hotel employee, identified as EDP, and a waiter, known as BNP, were charged with drug procurement. The BBC identified the men as Ezequiel Pereyra and Paiz.

Liam Payne performs on stage during the first day of Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Seat at London’s O2 Arena.

Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty

The statement said Paiz is suspected of selling cocaine to Payne twice on Oct. 14, two days before his death.

Nores was charged with manslaughter after he allegedly “failed to fulfill his duties of care, aid and assistance” to Payne after he “abandoned” him knowing he was suffering from “multiple addictions.” Martin was charged with manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent Payne from being taken to his hotel room shortly before his death.

Grassi, meanwhile, was charged with manslaughter for allegedly asking three people to “drag” Payne, who could not stand on his own, into his room instead of guarding him, according to the affidavit.

Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy debuts angel wing tattoo 2 months after his death

Authorities previously said in a news release that Payne “was not fully conscious or experiencing a state of marked reduction or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall.”

In the moments before his death and for at least his last 72 hours, Payne had traces of “multiple drug use of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed anti-depressant in his body,” according to a statement from Argentine authorities.

The singer was buried on November 20 at a funeral in the English countryside attended by girlfriend Kate Cassidy and former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education