When the beloved FRIENDS actor Matthew Perry was found lifeless in his hot tub, at his Los Angeles house, it was deemed to be an accident. However, upon intricate investigation, recent reports unveiled a “broad underground criminal network”. Apparently, a web of people motivated by greed had conspired to provide Perry with ketamine, to help his depression, which eventually led to his accidental overdose.
Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges against five defendants, including two doctors and a live-in assistant for the death of Matthew Perry in October 2023. U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada announced in a press conference how Perry was provided “large quantities” of ketamine which led to an overdose, similar to the range used for general anesthesia during surgery.
Five People Charged in Connection with Matthew Perry’s Death
Nearly a year after Matthew Perry was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home, new revelations have shed light on internal conspiracies and criminal networks. NBC News revealed how an intricate web of people were involved in pushing Perry to the brink of his demise in October 2023. Apparently, five individuals have been charged in connection with the actor’s death, due to drug overdose.
Although initially Matthew Perry’s death was considered an accident caused by age and his history of drug abuse, a recent investigation as per BBC revealed how the FRIENDS actor had high levels of ketamine in his blood. Even though originally he wasn’t found with drug paraphernalia or anything suggesting foul play, which suggested that he might have drowned, recent reports suggest that it was a simple case of overdose.
After the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said in an autopsy report that Matthew Perry had died of “acute effects of ketamine”, documents filed in federal court in California, noted that five people were involved in the web of greed that led to the actor’s demise. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at a news conference that two doctors, a live-in-personal assistant, an acquaintance, and a drug dealer had conspired to provide Perry with the ketamine that caused his accidental overdose.
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,’. 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 of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.
The arrests of the five individuals involved, come almost a year after Matthew Perry was found in the jacuzzi of his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2023. The toxicology report suggested that a high dose of ketamine, which is an anesthetic with psychedelic properties, led to Perry’s “drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects”.
A Handful of Defendants Pleaded Guilty of Certain Charges
Meanwhile, out of the five people in Southern California, who are facing federal criminal charges in connection with Matthew Perry‘s death, three of them have already pleaded guilty to certain counts of conspiracies. The actor’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. He admitted to injecting the actor with at least 27 shots of ketamine in the five days leading up to his death, including at least three on the day he died.
Dr. Mark Chavez, involved with Dr. Salvador Plasencia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine to the latter. Dr. Chavez admitted to obtaining ketamine by submitting a fraudulent prescription in the name of a former patient, to a wholesale ketamine distributor. Meanwhile, Dr. Plasencia, who had mocked Matthew Perry in a text message to Chavez, writing, “I wonder how much this moron will pay. Lets find out,” pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
Despite providing and repeatedly injecting Matthew Perry with ketamine and even instructing Kenneth Iwamasa on how to do it, Dr. Plasencia, who made a total of $55,000 for 20 vials between September and October 2023, pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of the actor, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine that resulted in Perry’s death. He admitted to obtaining the ketamine from the drug lord Jasveen Sangha and distributing 50 vials of ketamine to Iwamasa.
Alongside Dr. Salvador Plasencia, even Jasveen Sangha, known as the ‘Ketamine Queen, ’ pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges against them. Despite Sangha maintaining a “stash house” in North Hollywood, where investigators allegedly found more than 80 vials of ketamine, alongside thousands of pills that included methamphetamine, cocaine, and Xanax, the drug trafficker denied charges. However, authorities said that Sangha will face life in prison if convicted of all charges, while Dr. Plasencia will face up to 120 years in federal prison.
