Police have been investigating the source of the ketamine that led to the Friends actor’s death.
Five people, including two doctors and Matthew Perry’s personal assistant, have been charged in the actor’s tragic death, the New York Times reports.
Prosecutors said that Perry’s assistant and an acquaintance procured thousands of dollars worth of ketamine for the beloved actor by working with two doctors and a drug dealer, per the Times.
Perry, 54, died of an accidental overdose last October. The Friends star was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. A toxicology report revealed that Perry had died of “the acute effects of ketamine.” The report also listed drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication approved by the FDA to treat opioid use disorder.
Three of the defendants — Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s assistant; a San Diego physician, Dr. Mark Chavez; and an acquaintance of the actor, Erik Fleming — have already pleaded guilty. The other two — Jasveen Sangha, who’s known as “The Ketamine Queen,” and Dr. Salvador Plasencia — were arrested Thursday morning.
Officials accused Sangha of selling approximately 50 vials of ketamine, including the batch that ultimately led to his death, to Perry through Iwamasa and Fleming. Dr. Plasencia was charged with distributing about 20 vials to Perry; he allegedly worked with Dr. Chavez to obtain the drugs.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at a news conference that Dr. Plasencia “saw this as an opportunity to profit off Mr. Perry” and even wrote in text messages, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Perry had reportedly been receiving ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety, although a medical examiner determined that those infusions (the most recent of which was given to the actor about a week and a half before his death) were not responsible for his overdose. The psychedelic has shown promise as a possible alternative treatment for a wide array of mental health conditions, but it’s also used and abused recreationally.
By the fall of 2023, Estrada says that Perry had slid back into addiction and that “these defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves.” Perry had struggled with opioid addiction since he was involved in a jet ski accident in 1997 and had been very open about his battle to get sober.
Iwamasa, 59, pleaded to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Officials said he repeatedly injected the actor with the drug and admitted to giving him multiple shots on the day he died. Dr. Chavez pleaded to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, and Fleming pleaded to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
“We’re sending a clear message,” Estrada said. “If you are in the business of selling dangerous drugs, we will hold you accountable for the deaths that you cause.”
