Los Angeles — Five individuals, including Matthew Perry’s personal assistant and two doctors, have been charged in connection with the actor’s death. Prosecutors revealed on Thursday that the charges are part of an investigation into a “broad underground criminal network” that supplied Perry with dangerous amounts of ketamine, ultimately leading to his fatal overdose.
According to U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, the doctors exploited Perry’s history of addiction, providing him with the powerful anesthetic despite knowing the risks. “They knew what they were doing was wrong,” Estrada said. “They knew they were putting Mr. Perry in grave danger. But they did it anyway.”
Text messages revealed in court documents showed one of the doctors callously referring to Perry as a “moron” while discussing how much money they could extract from him. Perry, who died in October 2023 from a ketamine overdose, had received multiple injections of the drug on the day of his death from his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who later discovered the actor’s body.
Ketamine, originally intended for surgical anesthesia, has seen a surge in use for treating depression and anxiety, though its use for these conditions is not officially approved. Perry had been undergoing legitimate ketamine treatments from licensed doctors for depression, but in the final months of his life, when those doctors refused to provide him with more, he turned to others operating outside the law.
“This is not about legitimate medical treatment,” Estrada emphasized. “This is about doctors abusing their licenses to exploit a vulnerable person.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram highlighted how Perry paid exorbitant amounts for the drug. In one instance, he paid $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that only cost the doctor $12. In the two months leading up to his death, Perry reportedly spent $55,000 in cash on ketamine from these individuals.
Among those arrested on Thursday was Dr. Salvador Plasencia, charged with seven counts of ketamine distribution and two counts related to falsifying records after Perry’s death. Another individual arrested was Jasveen Sangha, a dealer known as the “ketamine queen,” whose supplied drug led to Perry’s death, according to prosecutors.
If convicted, Plasencia faces up to 120 years in prison, while Sangha could face life in prison. Another doctor, Dr. Mark Chavez, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Prosecutors allege Chavez funneled ketamine to Plasencia through fraudulent prescriptions.
Authorities said the defendants attempted to cover their tracks by deleting messages and falsifying medical records after Perry’s death. The investigation, led by the Los Angeles police in collaboration with the DEA and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is ongoing.
Perry’s body was found face down in his hot tub on October 28, 2023. The coroner’s report listed ketamine as the primary cause of death, with drowning and other medical issues as contributing factors. Perry had a long history of struggles with addiction, dating back to his time on the hit sitcom Friends, where he became a household name as Chandler Bing.
This case follows a pattern of authorities pursuing those who supply drugs that lead to celebrity deaths. Notably, individuals connected to the overdose deaths of rapper Mac Miller and pop icon Michael Jackson have been prosecuted and convicted in recent years.
Source: AP