In Matthew Perry death investigation five people have been arrested and charged, including the actor’s assistant and two doctors, prosecutors said.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said doctors administered a large dose of ketamine to the Friends actor. Who died in October 2023 at his home in Los Angeles, and “used Mr. Perry’s addiction to enrich himself to take advantage of the problems”.
Perry, 54, has publicly discussed his problems with addiction. The Los Angeles medical examiner said in an autopsy report last year that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for anxiety and depression at the time of his death. Still, the coroner found the actor’s blood levels of ketamine were much higher. The pie was as expected—alone therapy.
The Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration said in May they were working on a joint criminal investigation into how Matthew Perry obtained the prescription drugs, and why he had so much of the drug in his system.
“This investigation revealed an extensive underground criminal network responsible for distributing large amounts of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others,” Estrada said Thursday.
“The network included a live-in assistant, various goons, two medical doctors, and a major source of drug supply, quote: ‘ketamine queen’.”
“They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was putting Mr. Perry in great danger, but they did it anyway.
In the end, these defendants are Mr. Perry’s They were more interested in taking advantage of them than caring for their well-being,” he said.
Documents filed in federal court in California, The New York Times reports, accuse the five people, including Perry’s assistant, of a scheme to obtain thousands of dollars worth of ketamine and give it to Perry.
Jasveen Singha, who prosecutors said was known as the “Ketamine Queen,” and Salvador Plasencia, better known as “Dr. P,” are among those charged, according to the Times. The pair have been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Ketamine overdose leads to death; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and altering and falsifying records related to federal investigations.
Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, was charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, the Times reported, citing a person familiar with the situation. Dr. Mark Chavez and Perry’s acquaintance Eric Fleming were also indicted.
Court documents revealed text messages sent between Placencia and Chavez in which the former discussed buying ketamine to sell to a “victim MP” – Perry.
In the exchange, Placencia wrote: “I wonder how much this idiot will pay”, and “Let’s find out”, The Times reported.