The Controversial Case of Matthew Perry : Assistant and Doctors Charged with Ketamine Distribution

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.

Authorities charged five people with giving Matthew Perry ketamine

Matthew Perry’s assistant, two doctors, and two other people have been indicted and charged because of the ketamine that caused his death

Following the death of Matthew Perry last October, the law enforcement and my office, together with our partners represented here on this stage, initiated an in-depth and wide-ranging investigation. That investigation has unraveled a deep, underground criminal network responsible for large-quantity ketamine distributions to Matthew Perry and others. He had a private network of assistance, numerous go-betweens, and two attending medical doctors, culminating in a major source of drug supply known as the ketamine queen. We have charged five defendants in this case. All defendants preyed on Matthew Perry ‘s addiction for their enrichment. They knew they were acting unlawfully. They knew they were putting Mr. Perry at great risk, but they did it anyway.

Matthew Perry ‘s assistant and a couple of doctors, along with two other folks, got in trouble for getting the ketamine that caused the death of the Friends star According to the authorities, they all teamed up to buy a ton of ketamine for Matthew Perry , who had been using drugs and alcohol for a long time

The actor, who gained sitcom superstardom as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” was discovered face down and floating in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28. According to the autopsy report by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office, Matthew Perry , 54, had died of “acute effects of ketamine.”

The indictment filed in federal court on Wednesday detailed the grand jury charges against Jasveen Sangha, referred to as the Ketamine Queen, and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, known as Dr. P Ms. Sangha, allegedly maintained a stash house in North Hollywood, and Dr. Plasencia, a physician at an urgent care center, was involved in supplying ketamine to Matthew Perry, despite being aware of his history of drug abuse

”Mr. Perry’s aide, Kenneth Iwamasa, gave him at least 27 doses of ketamine in the five days before he died, including three on the day he passed away The indictment mentioned that the defendants used secret terms to talk about drug transactions, calling ketamine Dr. Pepper, cans, and bots Dr. Plasencia also texted another doctor, asking how much to charge Mr. Perry for ketamine, saying, I wonder how much this idiot will pay and Let’s find out

Ketamine is a strong anesthesia drug that also gives trippy effects Lately, people have been using it to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental stuff And some folks just use it for fun, too

Officials said three people already admitted guilt in the situation

Mr Iwamasa admitted guilt for helping distribute ketamine that caused someone’s death

Dr. Mark Chavez, who sold ketamine to Dr. Plasencia, also admitted to conspiring to distribute ketamine Officials say he got the ketamine by lying to a wholesale distributor and using a fake prescription Erik Fleming, Mr. Perry’s buddy, also pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine, including some that led to someone’s death

“If you’re selling dangerous drugs, we’ll make sure you’re held responsible for the deaths you cause, said Martin Estrada, the United States attorney for the Central District of California, during a news conference in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday”

The charges include conspiring to sell ketamine, selling ketamine that led to someone’s death, having methamphetamine with the intention to sell, and tampering with records during a federal investigation against Ms Sangha and Dr Plasencia

If convicted, 41-year-old Ms. Sangha could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison, while 42-year-old Dr. Plasencia could face up to 10 years in prison for the ketamine-related charges and up to 20 years for falsifying records

On Thursday afternoon, they said both Ms Sangha and Dr Plasencia got in trouble and said they didn’t do it The judge told Ms Sangha she had to stay in jail without bail, and Dr Plasencia’s bail was set at $100,000 Their trials are happening in October

Mr. Iwamasa, who is 59, could get 15 years in prison Mr. Fleming, who is 54, might get 25 years Dr. Chavez, also 54, got charged with something and will be arraigned on Aug 30 He could face up to 10 years on federal prison

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They couldn’t get ahold of the defendants right away

According to Anne Milgram, the director of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Mr Perry had sought treatment for depression and anxiety, visited a local clinic, and became addicted to intravenous ketamine during a press conference.

 Mr Perry wrote about his history of drug and alcohol addiction in a memoir Officials declined to clarify whether the initial ketamine treatment he received was legitimate and did not disclose how he became associated with Dr Plasencia and Dr Chavez

He started seeing other shady doctors who saw Perry as an easy way to make quick cash, after the clinic doctors refused to up his doses, Ms. Milgram said that the actor Dr. Plasencia and Dr. Chavez broke their oath as caregivers Instead of no harm, they did it to fill their pockets with more money

The autopsy report showed that Mr. Perry was on ketamine infusion therapy, but the ketamine level in his blood matched the dose used for general anesthesia

The indictment said Dr Plasencia lied to officials about Mr Perry’s treatment He gave a fake document claiming the victim got 60 milligrams of ketamine, but actually, he gave much more

The Los Angeles cops said this year that they were looking into where Mr Perry got his ketamine from, and if it was legal, with help from the DEA The US Postal Inspection Service also pitched in on the case

The Postal Service won’t unknowingly help anyone use the mail to deal illegal drugs or drug stuff, said Matthew Shields, the guy in charge of the service in LA

According to the charges and law enforcement, Dr. Plasencia sold about $55,000 worth of ketamine to Mr. Iwamasa in the weeks before Matthew Perry died They also say Dr. Plasencia personally shot up Matthew Perry with the drug at his place

On one visit, the large dose caused Mr. Perry to “freeze up,” prosecutors said, leading the doctor to recommend against a similarly sized injection in the future. Dr. Plasencia also injected Matthew Perry with ketamine while inside a vehicle in a public parking lot in Long Beach, Calif., the court papers say.

Ms. Milgram said that once, doctors billed $2,000 to Mr. Perry for a vial of ketamine that cost Dr. Chavez about $12.

In court documents, it was outlined how Matthew Perry spent the days running up to his death.

Mr. Fleming, who was friends with Matthew Perry , sent Mr. Perry a text saying he had some ketamine and would sell Mr. Perry some for “a good price” if he got a “fair tip for bringing it in.” Mr. Fleming later told Mr. Iwamasa that his supplier, Ms. Sangha, was supplying “high-end” celebrities.

“I guarantee it’s going to be awesome,” wrote Mr. Fleming in a text message to Mr. Iwam.

Mr. Fleming delivered a sample vial to Matthew Perry ‘s home, and then Mr. Iwamasa agreed to buy 25 vials, advancing Mr. Fleming $500 for “logistics.” He delivered 25 more vials on Oct. 24, four days before Mr. Perry’s death.

Among the counts filed against her in March is a charge of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to sell. Ms. Sangha has pleaded not guilty to these charges. According to court documents, law enforcement raided her home in North Hollywood the same month. There they found 79 bottles of liquid ketamine and almost about 2,000 grams worth of methamphetamine pills amongst other drugs.

The two doctors charged in Mr. Perry’s death have known each other for years, one of them said in a post on social media.

Dr Chavez is known as The Health MD He says he’s a coach for living longer, a doctor, an entrepreneur, and a fitness trendsetter online He used to work as a medical chemist, but now he’s a medical director at a regenerative medicine company On his website, he sells a 12-week weight loss program that includes the drug Ozempic for $1,500

 

Dr. Plasencia, who has known Dr. Chavez for 15 years, called him a great mentor on LinkedIn He helped Dr. Plasencia as he started his journey as a medical entrepreneur