Los Angeles – The city of stars has been rocked by the tragic death of beloved actor Matthew Perry last year. The former “Friends” star passed away in October from a ketamine overdose, leaving fans and loved ones devastated. Now, after months of investigation, five people have been charged in connection with Perry’s death, including his personal assistant and two doctors.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges on Thursday, stating that the doctors had supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine and even discussed in a text message how much the actor would be willing to pay for the drug.
“These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong,” Estrada said.
According to authorities, Perry received several injections of ketamine on the day of his death from his live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. It was Iwamasa who found Perry dead later that day. The actor had turned to the two charged doctors in desperation after his regular doctors refused to give him the amount of ketamine he wanted. In one instance, Perry paid $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost the doctor only $12, highlighting the greed and exploitation of the situation.
Two of the defendants, including one of the doctors, were arrested on Thursday, while two others, including Iwamasa, have already pleaded guilty to charges. A third person has also agreed to plead guilty.
Multiple attempts to reach out to the defendants’ lawyers for comment have been unsuccessful.
Among those arrested on Thursday is Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is facing seven counts of distributing ketamine and two charges related to falsifying records after Perry’s death. The other person arrested, Jasveen Sangha, is described as a drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen” and is accused of supplying the ketamine that caused Perry’s death.
Both Plasencia and Sangha are expected to make their first court appearances later on Thursday. Records show that Plasencia’s medical license has been in good standing with no previous complaints, although it is set to expire in October.
In addition to Plasencia, another doctor, Mark Chavez, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Prosecutors allege that Chavez funneled ketamine to Plasencia, obtaining the drug through a fraudulent prescription from a wholesale distributor.
The prosecutor revealed that the defendants exchanged messages soon after Perry’s death, discussing ketamine as the cause of death. They also attempted to cover up their involvement in supplying Perry with the drug, showing a complete disregard for the actor’s well-being.
The Los Angeles Police Department had been working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in their investigation into why Perry had such a large amount of ketamine in his system. Iwamasa had found the actor face down in his hot tub on October 28th, and paramedics declared him dead upon arrival.
The assistant had received the ketamine from Eric Fleming, who has already pleaded guilty to obtaining the drug from Sangha and delivering it to Iwamasa. In total, Fleming delivered 50 vials of ketamine for Perry’s use, including 25 just four days before the actor’s death.
Perry’s autopsy, released in December, revealed that the amount of ketamine in his blood was within the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. Ketamine has seen a significant increase in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety, and pain. Those close to Perry had told investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy.
However, the medical examiner stated that Perry’s last treatment, which took place 1.5 weeks before his death, could not explain the high levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolized within a few hours. The medical examiner’s report also mentioned that at least two doctors were treating Perry, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who served as his primary care physician. No illicit drugs or paraphernalia were found at his residence.
Ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected. The coroner also noted that drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a celebrity’s death has been linked to drug use, and it has led to the prosecution of those who supplied them. After
