**Charges Dropped Against Friend and Hotel Workers in Liam Payne Case**
Manslaughter charges against Rogelio “Roger” Nores, a friend of Liam Payne, along with two hotel employees, have been dismissed following a court ruling. Nores, hotel operator Gilda Martin, and head of reception Esteban Grassi were initially charged in December, two months after the One Direction star’s tragic death at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
While the charges against Nores, Martin, and Grassi have been dropped, two other individuals, hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz, still face charges for allegedly supplying cocaine to Payne and remain in custody awaiting trial.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Nores expressed relief, stating, “I’m glad this is finally over. I’m happy I’m now going to be able to travel to the UK and say goodbye to my friend.” Had they been convicted, Nores, Martin, and Grassi could have faced up to five years in prison, while drug supply charges in Argentina carry a potential sentence of up to 15 years.
Court documents reveal that Payne fell from the balcony of his hotel room around 5:10 PM on October 16. Prior to the incident, he was reportedly involved in an argument with two women in the hotel lobby, and cleaning staff noted that the television in his room was damaged. Toxicology tests indicated that Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his death, which was determined to be due to “polytrauma” from multiple injuries and internal and external bleeding.
