(NewsNation) — Authorities have charged five people in connection with the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, who was found face down in a hot tub at his California home.
The five defendants include two doctors, Perry’s personal assistant and a woman known as the “ketamine queen.” In addition to Perry, at least one of the defendants was connected to another ketamine fatality.
Two of the people arrested pleaded not guilty Thursday afternoon and one was already granted release.
“These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death, sends a clear message that we will hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.”
Perry was found with ketamine in his system, which the actor had been using to treat his depression. Earlier in the year, Los Angeles police said they were working with federal authorities to determine the source of the drug, which was not legally prescribed.
Ketamine drug ring
The defendants are Jasveen Sangha, 41, also known as “The Ketamine Queen,” Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42, Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, Eric Fleming, 54, and Kenneth Iwamasa, 59. All of the defendants face multiple charges, and Sangha could face life in prison. The other defendants could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted.
Plasencia and Sangha were arrested Thursday morning.
Prosecutors said Plasencia learned of Perry’s interest in ketamine and contacted Chavez to obtain ketamine for the actor, which was distributed to Perry and Iwamasa. Later, Iwamasa also began getting ketamine from Fleming and Sangha.
According to court documents, Iwamasa, who had no medical training, injected Perry with ketamine, including the dose that led to his death.
The indictment also connects Sangha to the death of Cody McLaury, who died from a ketamine overdose, and said she was aware the drug had led to McLaury’s death but continued to sell it. She is also facing charges in McLaury’s death.
Investigators said the defendants were aware that Perry’s addiction was spiraling out of control prior to his death, but continued to sell him ketamine anyway.
Text messages between defendants were included in the indictment, including one from Plasencia to Chaves discussing how much to charge, saying “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Following news of Perry’s death, Sangha texted Fleming with instructions to delete their text conversations.
How did Matthew Perry die?
Perry, 54, was found face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023.
An autopsy blamed his death on an overdose of ketamine. According to the findings, the overdose caused Perry to lose consciousness and drown.
Perry had been undergoing supervised treatment with ketamine for his depression. However, his last session had been more than a week before his death, so the ketamine in his system could not have been from that.
The medical examiner said the amount of ketamine in Perry’s system was equivalent to the amount used as anesthesia in general surgery. His death was ruled an accident.
What is ketamine?
Ketamine is a general anesthetic that also has psychedelic properties. Recently, it has been investigated as a treatment for depression and bipolar disorder, especially among those who do not respond to other medications.
Ketamine, like other psychedelics, is believed to work by increasing plasticity in the brain, helping people make new connections and essentially rewire parts of their brain to reduce depression.
While centers have cropped up around the country offering IV ketamine as a treatment, it is not FDA-approved for treating depression. Ketamine treatment comes with risks, including the potential for addiction and overdose.
Matthew Perry’s history and legacy
Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit show “Friends,” was open about his history of opioid and alcohol addiction as well as his experiences with depression. He was an advocate for increasing treatment for addiction as an alternative to incarceration.
At the time of his death, Perry had reportedly been sober for 19 months, according to the autopsy report.
Following Perry’s death, his “Friends” co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer said they were devastated by his death.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss,” they said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.