Liam Payne's death: Waiter arrested for allegedly giving drugs to star

Hotel employee Brian Nahuel Paiz has been arrested in Argentina in connection with the singer Liam Payne death.

The 24-year-old waiter was charged last month with alleged late delivery One direction star with drugs before his fatal fall.

Paiz was arrested at his home outside Buenos Aires, Argentina on Friday, January 3, and could face between four and 15 years in prison. People and TMZ. Per TMZPaiz was under house arrest while local authorities searched his home.

People on Friday, January 3, reported that both Paiz and his lawyer Fernando Madeo Facente claims the hotel employee is innocent.

Related: The suspect in Liam Payne's death denies supplying the singer with drugs

One of three suspects being investigated for their alleged involvement in Liam Payne's death is speaking out weeks after the singer's fatal fall. During an interview with Argentina's Telefe Noticias that aired on Saturday, November 9, Brian Nahuel Paez, accused of supplying narcotics to Payne, denied selling drugs to the dead musician. Paiz, 24 years old (…)

Payne, who rose to fame as one of the five members of the boy band One Direction, died on October 16, 2024, after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31.

An initial autopsy listed Payne's cause of death as “multiple injuries,” including hemorrhaging to the chest, skull and abdomen. A partial autopsy reportedly found several drugs in his system, including traces of “pink cocaine” — methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA — a mixture of cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack.

There was a while one of the five defendants on Monday, Dec. 30, by Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office regarding Payne's death.

In addition to Paiz, a CasaSur employee Ezequiel Pereira was also accused of supplying drugs to Payne before his death.

Meanwhile, Payne's friend Roger Norres are among those charged with murder, as well as Esteban GrassiReceptionist and Head of Hotel Security at CasaSur Palermo Hotel Gilda Martin.

During an interview with Argentina Telefe news which aired in November 2024, Paiz denied drug dealing for the deceased musician. Paiz claimed that he initially met Payne when he had lunch at a restaurant where Paiz works in Puerto Madero during the week before his death.

According to Pais, Payne was “already under the influence of drugs and not actually eating anything” at the restaurant.

He continued: “We exchanged details and met up later that night. It was all normal.”

Related: 2 suspects 'could soon be arrested' in Liam Payne's death: Report

Samir Hussain/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal An investigation into Liam Payne's death could soon lead to the arrest of two men who allegedly supplied drugs to the singer. Police could arrest Brian Nahuel Pais and Ezequiel Pereira during the holiday season, a court reporter told Us Weekly on Wednesday, December 11. Both are (…)

Paiz insisted: “I never supplied Liam with drugs”, adding that the pair arranged to meet at the Hyatt in Palermo on October 2. They met again at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires on October 13.

“We did drugs together, but I never brought him drugs or took any money,” he claimed, adding that he still had messages exchanged between him and Payne to set up their second meeting.

Payne's funeral was held in Amersham, England on Wednesday 20 November. Payne's former One Direction bandmates — Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan — was among those present.