Five arrests have been made amid a drug investigation into the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry.
The Department of Justice said in a press conference Thursday morning that an investigation revealed a “broad underground criminal network,” including Perry’s assistant and doctors, who “took advantage” of the actor by selling him ketamine.
“This network included a live-in assistant, various go-betweens, two medical doctors and a major source of drug supply known as ‘The Ketamine Queen,'” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, announcing the charges. “These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyways. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well being.”
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The lead defendants in the case are doctor Salvador Plasencia and drug trafficker Jasveen Sangha. Together, they worked with doctor Mark Chavez, Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and a “broker” named Erik Fleming to obtain ketamine and sell it to Perry, who died Oct. 28, 2023 at age 54. Chavez, Iwasama and Fleming have pleaded guilty to various charges.
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Plasencia and Sangha made initial appearances Thursday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar ordered Sangha detained (jailed without bond) and set Plasencia’s bond at $100,000. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges against them. There are plans to consolidate a trial date between the two in October.
Over a two-month period in the fall of 2023, they distributed approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Perry in exchange for $55,000 in cash. Plasencia mocked Perry in a text message in 2023, writing, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
On one occasion, Plasencia injected Perry with illegal ketamine and watched the actor “freeze up and his blood pressure spike,” said Estrada. “Despite that, he left additional vials of ketamine for defendant Iwamasa to administer to Mr. Perry.” (Iwasama had no medical training.)
Plasencia had also told another patient in October 2023, the month Perry died, that Perry “was spiraling out of control with his addiction,” according to Estrada. “Nonetheless, [he] continued to offer ketamine to Mr. Perry.”
Plasencia faces a maximum sentence of 120 years in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration said the doctors charged Perry $2,000 for a vial that cost Dr. Chavez approximately $12. As Perry’s addiction worsened, he sought out other ways to obtain ketamine, which led to his buying from street dealers, who sold the ketamine that ultimately led to his death.
All five defendants knew what they were doing was unethical and illegal, and they spoke about that in their text exchanges. Sangha, “The Ketamine Queen” who sold the batch of ketamine that resulted in Perry’s death, texted Fleming after Perry’s death, “Delete all our messages.” Plasencia falsified medical records and notes to try to make his actions look legitimate.
“Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, and it ended with street dealers who sold him ketamine in unmarked vials,” said DEA administrator Anne Milgram at the press conference. “The desperation that led Perry to these individuals was not met with help as it should have been from the doctors, but instead it was met with exploitation.”
The investigation also led to a search of Sangha’s home, which uncovered a “drug-selling emporium.” She had 80 vials of ketamine, thousands of pills, methamphetamine and cocaine. She faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
“By filing these extensive and serious charges, we are sending a clear message. If you are in the business of selling dangerous drugs, we will hold you accountable for the deaths that you cause,” said Estrada.
Perry was found dead on Oct. 28, 2023, in the hot tub of his home in Los Angeles. Traces of ketamine were found in his system.
At the time, it was ruled an accidental overdose. But in May, the LAPD said it was working with federal authorities to investigate the source of the ketamine he had consumed.
First responders were initially called to Perry’s home for cardiac arrest, but the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office found that he died of “acute effects of ketamine.” Contributing factors included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder).
Prior to his death, Perry had reportedly been undergoing ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety. According to the medical examiner’s toxicology report, “At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.”
Perry was beloved for his performance as the hilarious and lovable “Friends” character Chandler Bing. Following his death, his “Friends” co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer wrote in a statement that they were “utterly devastated.”
“We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss,” the statement read. “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
