Matthew Perry: Five Arrested for Friends Star's Death

"The investigation revealed a vast criminal network responsible for supplying Matthew Perry with large amounts of ketamine," said District Attorney Martin Estrada.

Authorities in the US have charged five people with the death of actor Matthew Perry from a ketamine overdose last October.

According to what federal prosecutors have announced, the accused include the actor's personal assistant and two doctors.

According to prosecutor Martin Estrada, the doctors are accused of supplying the popular actor with a large amount of ketamine and "exploited his addiction problems to get rich."

The defendants allegedly illegally supplied Perry with 20 vials of ketamine for $55,000 in cash over a two-month period.

"The investigation revealed a broad criminal network that was responsible for supplying Matthew Perry with large amounts of ketamine," Estrada said, among other things.

"This network included an assistant who lived with him, various 'middlemen', two doctors and an important source of drug supply, known as 'the queen of ketamine,'" he added.

He added that the defendants "knew that what they did was wrong. They knew what they were doing was dangerous for Matthew Perry, but they did it. Ultimately, these defendants were more interested in profiting from the actor than in his state of health."

Most famous for his role as Chandler in American television sitcom 'Friends', Perry was found dead in his hot tub at his home in LA on October 28 last year.

The five defendants, who will face court in California, and could be given lengthy prison sentences, are all accused of providing Perry with the drug, which was found in his blood at levels in the range used for general anaesthetic in surgery.

Each defendant played a "key role" in his death, US Drug Enforcement Administration head Anne Milgram told a press conference in LA.

She said Perry had become addicted to intravenous ketamine while being treated for anxiety and depression at a local clinic.

"When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a quick way to make money," she said.

"As Matthew Perry's ketamine addiction grew, he wanted more, and he wanted it faster and cheaper.

"That is how he ended up buying from street dealers who sold the ketamine that ultimately led to his death.

"In doing so, he followed the arc that we have tragically seen with many others whose substance use disorder begins in a doctor's office and ends in the street."

Who are accused?

The indictment issued by the Department of Justice includes Jaswin Sangha, referred to as the "Queen of Ketamine," and Dr. Salvador Placentia as the defendants in Perry's death. Charges have also been brought against a doctor, Mark Chavez, Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and another personal aquaintance, Eric Fleming.

As Sky News reports regarding the details of the case file, one of the doctors accused of Matthew Perry's death from ketamine wrote in a message: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."

The message was sent by Salvador Placentia, a medical doctor also known as “Dr. P", who is one of the five defendants in connection with the actor's death. The other defendants include Jaswin Shanga, known as the "Queen of Ketamine", Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's personal assistant, and Eric Fleming, an acquaintance of the TV star.

Details of the charges against the five arrested

Jasveen Sangha, aka “The Ketamine Queen”, 41: Charged with distribution of ketamine, maintaining drug premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five more counts of distribution of ketamine.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42: Charged with distributing ketamine, altering and falsifying documents or records related to a federal investigation.

Eric Fleming, 54: who authorities describe as a "broker" and "street dealer", pleaded guilty to distribution of ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. In court documents, Fleming admitted to trafficking the ketamine that caused Perry's death and to obtaining the ketamine from his source, Sangha, by distributing 50 vials of ketamine to Perry's personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, half of which four days before Perry's death.

Kenneth Iwamasa: Perry's personal assistant, who conspired with Sangha, Fleming, and Plasencia to illegally procure and distribute ketamine to Perry. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and admitted to repeatedly administering ketamine to Perry without medical training, including multiple injections on the day of his death.

Dr. Mark Chavez: Physician who agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. In his plea agreement, he admitted to selling ketamine to Plasencia, including ketamine that had been removed from his former clinic.

Watch the LAPD press conference:

According to the report released by the Los Angeles County Coroner, the actor had a decades-long battle with alcohol and drugs, was "on ketamine therapy," and his most recent treatment was about a week and a half before his death.

The report notes that the ketamine found in his system when he died could not have come from this infusion therapy he was on, since the drug's effects last three to four hours, or less.

'I wonder how much this moron will pay'

Court documents allege that Plasencia discovered Perry was interested in buying ketamine in September, 2023. Plasencia then contacted the other doctor, Chavez, to discuss selling the drug to Perry.

Plasencia allegedly wrote in text messages to Chavez, "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "let's find out". He also wrote that he wanted to be Perry's "go to" for the drugs.

Over two months, Plasencia and Chavez sold about 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $US55,000 ($83,000). ]

They provided the drugs via Perry's assistant, Iwamasa, and Plasencia also taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine.

"Defendant Plasencia knew full well the danger of what he was doing," US Attorney Martin Estrada said.

"In fact, on one occasion, he injected Mr Perry with ketamine and he saw Mr Perry freeze up and his blood pressure spike.

"Despite that, he left additional vials of ketamine for defendant Iwamasa to administer to Mr Perry."

The court documents allege the other two defendants, Fleming and Sangha, began selling ketamine to Iwamasa later, in mid-October, 2023. Perry allegedly paid Sangha $US11,000 ($16,600) for about 50 vials of ketamine.

Iwamasa allegedly injected Perry with ketamine bought from Fleming and Sangha on the day he died. After seeing media reports about Perry's death, Sangha allegedly texted Fleming, "Delete all our messages".

Earlier this year, Plasencia produced fake medical records to show he had a "treatment plan" in place for Perry, prosecutors allege.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine, a dissociative anaesthetic, has legitimate medical uses, particularly in surgeries and for treating severe pain. It works by altering perceptions and sensations, making it a valuable tool in medical settings where patients need to be unaware of painful procedures.

However, when used illegally, ketamine's effects can be extremely dangerous. In smaller, recreational doses, it can cause users to feel detached from reality, and at higher doses, it can lead to a state known as a “k-hole,” where the user feels completely disconnected from their body. This state leaves users vulnerable to physical harm, as they are often incapacitated.

Beyond the immediate risks of overdose, long-term ketamine use can lead to serious health issues, including bladder damage, kidney failure, and severe psychological effects like paranoia and depression. Mixing ketamine with other substances, such as alcohol, further increases the danger, often leading to fatal outcomes.

The Growing Ketamine Problem

The case of Matthew Perry is part of a larger trend of increasing ketamine use, both in the U.S. and abroad. Originally used in medical and veterinary settings, ketamine is now becoming more common on the streets, often sold in unpredictable and dangerous forms.

In Australia, for example, illegal ketamine use has soared, with wastewater testing revealing record-high levels of the drug.

The Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing’s 2022-2023 National Drug Household Survey identifies a sharp increase in the use of ketamine:

• 300,000 people said they used ketamine in the previous 12 months — in 2016 this figure was 70,000.

• 900,000 said they had used illegal ketamine in their lifetime — more than double the amount from 2016.

Organised crime groups have capitalised on this demand, importing large quantities of ketamine and its chemical analogues into the country. These "chemical cousins" of ketamine are of particular concern because their effects and long-term impacts are still largely unknown.

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