Five people were charged on Thursday with allegedly supplying ketamine to “Friends” star Matthew Perry, who died from an overdose of the drug late last year, the Justice Department announced, months after the 54-year-old actor’s autopsy spurred law enforcement to relaunch an investigation.
Los Angeles police opened an investigation into Perry’s death after an autopsy revealed the “Friends” star died of “acute effects of ketamine.”
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Key Takeaways
- The DOJ describes an alleged scheme involving two physicians, Perry’s personal assistant, a friend of the actor’s and an alleged drug dealer.
- Prosecutors allege a drug dealer named Jasveen Sangha—whom they referred to as “the Ketamine Queen”—contacted physician Mark Chavez about purchasing ketamine to sell to Perry and later sold 25 vials of ketamine to Erik Fleming, a friend of Perry’s who delivered them to personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa.
- Another physician, Salvador Plasencia, allegedly sold thousands of dollars worth of ketamine to Iwamasa and later falsified medical documents to influence an investigation into Perry’s death.
- Iwamasa allegedly injected Perry with ketamine multiple times without practice or prior training, including multiple injections on the day Perry died.
- Sangha and Plasencia face multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and altering and falsifying records related to a federal investigation, according to the DOJ.
- Iwamasa was charged separately with Chavez and Fleming, each of whom have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, among other charges, prosecutors said.
- The Los Angeles Police Department launched a joint investigation into Perry’s death with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in May, after an autopsy determined Perry died of “acute effects of ketamine.”
Big Number
110 years. That’s the maximum sentence Plasencia could receive if convicted on all counts, according to the Justice Department. Sangha faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Iwamasa and Fleming face up to 15 years and 25 years in prison, respectively, and Chavez faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Key Background
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28. Police said at the time his cause of death was unknown, as there were no drugs found at the home and foul play was not suspected. An autopsy report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined Perry died from the effects of ketamine, while coronary artery disease and drowning were listed as contributing factors in his death. Buprenorphine, an opioid used to treat opioid use disorder, was also in his system.
The Los Angeles Police Department launched an investigation into his death, though the effort was closed in January. Perry received ketamine-infusion therapy for depression and anxiety every other day, and his last known infusion came a week and a half before his death, the Los Angeles Times reported. The medical examiner reportedly said the ketamine in Perry’s system likely could not have been from that session because the drug’s half-life is between three and four hours.
