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Matthew Perry’s Assistant and Doctors Charged With Getting Him Ketamine
Five people have been charged with a conspiracy to distribute the powerful anesthetic that led to the death of the “Friends” star. Three of them are pleading guilty.
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Authorities Charge Five People For Giving Matthew Perry Ketamine
Matthew Perry’s personal assistant, two doctors and two others have been indicted and charged with providing the ketamine that caused his death.
Following Mr. Perry’s death in October of last year, law enforcement, my office and our partners represented on this stage began an in-depth, wide-ranging investigation. That investigation has revealed a broad, underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others. This network included a live- in assistant, various go-betweens, two medical doctors and a major source of drug supply known as, quote, the ketamine queen. We’ve charged five defendants in this matter. These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyways.
Matthew Perry’s personal assistant, two doctors and two others have been indicted and charged with providing the ketamine that caused the death of Mr. Perry, a star on the television show “Friends,” the authorities said on Thursday.
In documents filed in federal court in California, prosecutors said that Mr. Perry’s assistant and an acquaintance had worked with two doctors and a drug dealer to procure tens of thousands of dollars worth of ketamine for Mr. Perry, who had long struggled with substance abuse and addiction.
The actor, who gained sitcom superstardom as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” was discovered floating face down in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said in an autopsy report that Mr. Perry, 54, had died of “acute effects of ketamine.”
An indictment filed in federal court on Wednesday detailed grand jury charges against Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors said was known as “the Ketamine Queen,” and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, known as “Dr. P.”
Ms. Sangha maintained a “stash house” in North Hollywood, the indictment said, and Dr. Plasencia, a physician at an urgent care center, was among those who worked to get the ketamine to Mr. Perry despite knowing he had a history of drug abuse.
Court documents say that Mr. Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, injected him with at least 27 shots of ketamine in the five days leading up to his death, including at least three on the day he died. An indictment said that the defendants used coded language to discuss drug deals, referring to bottles of ketamine as “Dr Pepper,” “cans” and “bots.” And it said that when Dr. Plasencia texted with another doctor about how much to charge Mr. Perry for ketamine, he wrote, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets find out.”
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