Topline
Five people were charged and at least one person was arrested Thursday in connection with the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, multiple outlets reported, months after an autopsy revealed the 54-year-old died from a ketamine overdose, spurring law enforcement to relaunch an investigation.
Los Angeles police opened an investigation into Perry’s death after an autopsy revealed the … [+]
Key Facts
Prosecutors charged Jasveen Sangha and Salvador Plasencia with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and altering and falsifying records related to a federal investigation, among others, according to an indictment obtained by The New York Times.
Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s personal assistant, was charged separately, along with Mark Chavez and Erik Fleming, who each face charges of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Times.
The Los Angeles Police Department launched a joint investigation into Perry’s death with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in May, after an autopsy determined Perry died of “acute effects of ketamine.”
Prosecutors allege Sangha—who they reportedly referred to as “the Ketamine Queen”—contacted Chavez, a physician, about purchasing ketamine to sell to Perry and later sold 25 vials of ketamine to Fleming, a friend of Perry’s who delivered them to Iwamasa.
Plasencia, another physician, sold thousands of dollars worth of ketamine to Iwamasa and personally injected Perry with the drug at Perry’s home in the weeks leading up to his death, including one dose that caused Perry to “freeze up,” prosecutors allege.
An arrest was made in southern California on Thursday morning, though the person was not identified, according to NBC News, which cited anonymous law enforcement officials.
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Key Background
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28. Police said at the time his cause of death was unknown, as there were no drugs found at the home and foul play was not suspected. An autopsy report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined Perry died from the effects of ketamine, while coronary artery disease and drowning were listed as contributing factors in his death. Buprenorphine, an opioid used to treat opioid use disorder, was also in his system. The Los Angeles Police Department launched an investigation into his death, though the effort was closed in January. Perry received ketamine-infusion therapy for depression and anxiety every other day, and his last known infusion came a week and a half before his death, the Los Angeles Times reported. The medical examiner reportedly said the ketamine in Perry’s system likely could not have been from that session because the drug’s half-life is between three and four hours.
