Five individuals have been charged in connection with the death of Matthew Perry.

 

Five individuals have been charged in connection with the drug-related death of Matthew Perry last year, according to police reports. Among the charged are two doctors and Perry's personal assistant.

The police investigation, which began in May, revealed a "broad underground criminal network" involved in the distribution of ketamine. Perry, 54, passed away at his Los Angeles residence in October. A post-mortem examination indicated that a high concentration of ketamine was the cause of death, due to the "acute effects" of the controlled substance.

"These defendants exploited Mr. Perry's addiction issues for their own gain," US Attorney Martin Estrada stated. "They were aware of the significant risk to Mr. Perry but proceeded regardless."

Three of the defendants, including Perry's assistant, have already pleaded guilty to drug charges. The other two, a doctor and a woman known as "The Ketamine Queen," were arrested on Thursday, as per the justice department.

Ketamine, a potent anaesthetic, is utilized for treating depression, anxiety, and pain. Perry, famous for his role on the NBC television show Friends, was reportedly undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. However, his last session was over a week before his death, and the medical examiner confirmed that the ketamine in his system did not originate from this therapy due to the drug's short half-life.

The ketamine levels in Perry's body were comparable to those administered during general anaesthesia. An indictment filed in federal court detailed the intricate drug purchasing scheme leading to Perry's death. Prosecutors claimed that Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, collaborated with two doctors to procure over $50,000 worth of ketamine in the weeks leading up to Perry's death.

Those involved in the scheme allegedly sought to profit from Perry's known substance abuse issues. One of the doctors, Salvador Plasencia, allegedly texted, "I wonder how much this moron will pay."

Plasencia, 42, is accused of providing Perry with ketamine "outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose." He also allegedly instructed Iwamasa on how to administer ketamine injections without proper safety procedures. Prosecutors claimed that Iwamasa administered at least 27 shots of ketamine to Perry in the four days before his death, even after a prior large dose caused adverse effects.

Other defendants include Jasveen Sangha, the so-called "Ketamine Queen," who supplied the drug to Plasencia with the help of Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez. Chavez, Fleming, and Iwamasa have all pleaded guilty. Sangha and Plasencia, who pleaded not guilty, appeared in Los Angeles court on Thursday with tentative trial dates set for October.

Prosecutors stated that the defendants attempted to cover up their crimes following Perry's death. Sangha allegedly instructed another suspect to "delete all our messages," and Plasencia falsified medical records.

Drowning was also listed as a contributing factor to Perry's death, which was ruled accidental. Other contributing factors included coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a treatment for opioid use disorder.

Perry had struggled with addiction to painkillers and alcohol, attending rehabilitation multiple times. He chronicled his battle with substance abuse in his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing." In a 2016 BBC Radio 2 interview, Perry revealed that he could not recall three years of filming Friends due to his addiction. Despite treatment efforts, he wrote in his memoir that he had been mostly sober since 2001, with "about 60 or 70 mishaps."