Five individuals, including Matthew Perry's personal assistant and two doctors, have been indicted for their alleged roles in supplying the ketamine that led to the "Friends" star's death in October, federal authorities announced on Thursday.
Court documents filed in California reveal that Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and an acquaintance, Erik Fleming, conspired with Dr. Salvador Plasencia, Dr. Mark Chavez, and drug dealer Jasveen Sangha to provide the actor with significant quantities of ketamine in the weeks leading up to his death.
Perry, who had a well-documented history of substance abuse, was found unresponsive in his hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28. An autopsy later confirmed his death was caused by the "acute effects of ketamine."
The indictment describes how Sangha, known as "the Ketamine Queen," and Plasencia, referred to as "Dr. P," worked to supply the drug despite knowing Perry’s history of addiction. The charges against them include conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Plasencia is also accused of falsifying records to mislead investigators about Perry’s treatment.
According to the indictment, Plasencia, who worked at an urgent care center in Calabasas, California, communicated with Chavez about selling ketamine to Perry, using encrypted messaging and code words like "Dr Pepper" to refer to the drug. In one message, Plasencia reportedly referred to Perry as a "moron" while discussing how much to charge him.
Prosecutors allege that Plasencia injected Perry with dangerously high doses of ketamine on multiple occasions, including once in a public parking lot in Long Beach, California. In the days leading up to Perry’s death, Fleming reportedly purchased 25 vials of ketamine from Sangha and delivered them to Iwamasa, who administered the drug to Perry over the course of four days. Perry died on October 28 after receiving over 20 injections.
Sangha, who allegedly maintained a "stash house" in North Hollywood, is facing additional federal drug charges after law enforcement raided her home in March, seizing nearly 80 bottles of ketamine and thousands of methamphetamine pills.
Chavez, who has marketed himself as a "longevity coach" and medical entrepreneur, is accused of being a mentor to Plasencia and assisting in the illegal distribution of ketamine to Perry. His website promotes various health programs, including a $1,500 weight loss plan involving the drug Ozempic.
Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom "Friends," had long struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, which he openly discussed in his memoir. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office cited drowning, coronary artery disease, and the presence of buprenorphine—a medication used to treat addiction—as contributing factors in Perry’s death.
