Matthew Perry passed away on October 28, 2023, and traces of ketamine were found in his system. Initially, it was determined that he died from an overdose. However, in May, the Los Angeles police announced that they were collaborating with federal authorities to trace the source of the ketamine he had been using. It turned out that several individuals were involved.
The Department of Justice stated that five people had been arrested as part of the investigation into the death of the *Friends* star. The inquiry uncovered a widespread underground criminal network that included Perry’s assistant and doctors who exploited the actor’s addiction by selling him ketamine.
“This network included an assistant who lived with the actor, various intermediaries, two doctors, and the main drug supplier known as the ‘Ketamine Queen.’ These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction to profit. They knew their actions were wrong and that what they were doing put Mr. Perry at great risk, yet they continued. Ultimately, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than in caring for his well-being,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
The main defendants in the case are doctor Salvador Plasencia and drug dealer Jaswin Sangha. They worked alongside doctor Mark Chavez, Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and dealer Eric Fleming.
These individuals systematically contributed to the actor’s death by providing ketamine. Perry paid $2,000 for a vial that cost Dr. Chavez about $12. As the *Friends* star’s addiction worsened, he sought other ways to obtain ketamine, eventually turning to street dealers, which ultimately led to his demise.
Chavez, Iwamasa, and Fleming pleaded guilty to various charges, while Plasencia and Sangha did not.
Over two months in the fall of 2023, the perpetrators sold Perry approximately 20 vials of ketamine for $55,000. Plasencia mocked Perry in a text message in 2023, writing, “I wonder how much this idiot will pay.”
On one occasion, Plasencia injected Perry with illegal ketamine and observed him become unresponsive while his blood pressure spiked. Despite this, he left additional vials of ketamine for co-defendant Iwamasa to administer to Mr. Perry, according to Estrada.
