How the suspects in Matthew Perry’s death took advantage of the recovering drug addict, prosecutors say
Now, five people are charged in connection with Perry’s death.
Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” died last October at age 54. His body was found floating face down in a stand-alone jacuzzi at his Pacific Palisades home. He died from “acute effects of ketamine” and subsequent drowning, according to an autopsy report.
Perry had detailed his decades-long struggles with drug addiction in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” He wrote that he started abusing prescription medication after he was involved in a jet ski accident on the set of the film “Fools Rush In” in 1997 and was prescribed Vicodin.
Investigators believe Perry “fell back into addiction” last fall, US Attorney Martin Estrada said in announcing the charges Thursday.
And a network of people “cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being,” Estrada said.
‘How much will this moron pay?’
Two doctors – Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez – worked to supply Perry with ketamine, Estrada said.
“Defendant Plasencia saw this as an opportunity to profit off of Mr. Perry,” Estrada said. “He wrote in a text message in September 2023, ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay?’ He also stated in text messages that he wanted to be Mr. Perry’s sole source of supply.”
From September to October 2023, Perry was distributed “approximately 20 vials of Ketamine” that cost him roughly $55,000, Estrada said.
Defendant Jasveen Sangha, a person referred to by authorities as the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood, ran what amounted to “a drug selling emporium” in her home, Estrada said.
Another defendant, Eric Fleming, said he obtained ketamine from Sangha and distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, prosecutors said.
And Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, injected the actor with ketamine despite having no medical training, Estrada said.
During the final week of Perry’s life, Iwamasa injected him with at least 21 shots of ketamine, according to an indictment. Authorities said Iwamasa “performed multiple injections on Perry on October 28, 2023 – the day Perry died.”
The suspects enter pleas to the charges
Plasencia pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. His attorney told CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS there was no evidence to substantiate the allegations against the doctor.
“Mr. Perry was on ketamine treatment. Medically supervised, medically prescribed. And while the US attorney may disagree with Dr. Plasencia’s medical judgment, there was nothing criminal at the time,” attorney Stefan Sacks told the affiliate. “More importantly, the ketamine that was involved in Mr. Perry’s passing was not related to Dr. Plasencia.” CNN has reached out to Plasencia’s attorney for comment.
Chavez, the other doctor charged, “has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine,” prosecutors said. CNN has reached out to Chavez’s attorney for comment.
Sangha, the alleged “Ketamine Queen,” has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. CNN has reached out to her attorney for comment.
Fleming, who said he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. An attorney for Fleming declined to comment.
And Iwamasa, Perry’s assistant, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, the US attorney’s office said. CNN has reached out to Iwamasa’s attorney for comment.
CNN’s Scott Glover, John Miller, Lisa Respers France and Kelly McCleary contributed to this report.
Despite Perry's struggle with substance abuse, his memoir revealed, the entertainment industry continued to provide him with sources of dangerous substances. The indictment accused Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, of injecting him with at least 21 shots of ketamine, a harmful entertainment-related substance, during the final week of his life.
