Liam Payne's pal Rogelio Nores and hotel staff who sold him drugs among five charged in his tragic death

BUENOS, AIRES: The world was left reeling after the untimely death of beloved One Direction star Liam Payne in Buenos Aires on October 16.

Now, a series of charges is unfolding in Argentina - raising more questions about the circumstances surrounding the 31-year-old’s tragic fall from a hotel balcony.

A wave of charges in Liam Payne's death

According to Argentine newspaper Infobae, five people have been charged in connection with Liam’s death and two of them are in custody.

Among those charged is Liam’s friend Rogelio “Roger” Nores, who reportedly left the CasaSur Palermo hotel about an hour before the singer’s fatal fall. Authorities have charged Nores with negligent homicide, a serious allegation that he firmly denies.

Nores is not the only one under investigation. Braian Paiz — a waiter who admitted to using drugs, including cocaine, with Liam — has been charged with supplying narcotics for payment.

Similarly, CasaSur employee Ezequiel Pereyra faces the same charge, while hotel managers Gilda Martín and Esteban Grassi have been charged with manslaughter.

All five are expected to appear in court, the Daily Mail reported.

Liam Payne's death: A fateful night

Liam Payne died after he fell from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo hotel. The tragedy sparked an intense investigation into what went wrong.

Early reports described erratic behavior in Liam’s final hours, with a 911 call claiming he had been acting aggressively and could have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Grassi, the hotel’s chief receptionist, told investigators that Liam had been "insistently" calling down to the front desk, requesting alcohol and asking where he could get cocaine. Grassi claimed Liam even insulted a staff member when his requests were denied.

Text messages allegedly exchanged between Liam and an escort reportedly show that he offered her $5,000 to “party.”

Reports have surfaced that Liam’s mental health was already precarious in the days leading up to his death. A psychiatrist allegedly emailed Nores, warning that it was “impossible” to continue supporting Liam’s mental health and advising of the dangers of mixing antidepressants with alcohol.

Toxicology tests later revealed that Liam had consumed alcohol, cocaine, and traces of an antidepressant before his death. Prosecutors have since ruled out suicide, concluding that Liam was in a state of “semi or total unconsciousness” at the time of the fall and “didn’t know what he was doing.”

Drug allegations and Roger Nores' comments

Paiz and Pereyra face serious charges for allegedly supplying drugs to Liam. During a previous hearing, both men opted to remain silent. However, Paiz has publicly denied ever selling drugs to Liam, despite admitting in an interview with Telefe Noticias that they used drugs together.

“I never took drugs to him or accepted any money,” Paiz told journalist Guillermo Panizza.

Meanwhile, Pereyra, a 21-year-old former CasaSur employee, is accused of delivering drugs to Liam in a soapbox. He has made no public comment about the charges against him.

Nores, who has been portrayed in some reports as Liam’s “de facto” manager, fought accusations that he abandoned his friend in his final hours. Speaking to TMZ in a documentary, he described Liam as being “in good spirits and perfectly balanced” the day he died.

“I never abandoned Liam,” Nores said in a statement. “I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened. There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen.”

He added, “I gave my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven't spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since. I wasn't Liam's manager. He was just my very dear friend."

Grassi and Martín, two of the hotel managers now facing manslaughter charges, have been identified as part of a group seen carrying Liam back to his room shortly before the fatal fall. Grassi also made the emergency 911 call moments before the incident. He has not commented publicly since being named a suspect.

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