The death of Matthew Perry has led to multiple arrests.
At a morning news conference on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said that charges have been filed against two doctors, Perry's live-in assistant, and an individual referred to as "the Ketamine Queen," who provided him with ketamine before to his demise.A criminal inquiry was initiated following the determination by the Los Angeles County medical examiner's office that Perry's death was caused by the "acute effects of ketamine." On October 28, 2023, the body of the Friends star was discovered in his pool.
Several individuals have been charged by the federal government.
This inquiry, according to Estrada, "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 'the Ketamine Queen,'" according to him. In this case, we brought charges against five individuals. These accused individuals enriched themselves by capitalising on Mr. Perry's struggles with addiction. They were fully aware that their actions were wrong and put Mr. Perry in grave danger, yet they persisted nevertheless. Ultimately, the defendants cared more about making money off of Mr. Perry than about his welfare.
The drug enforcement administration, the United States Postal Service, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California are among the many entities that have been involved in the investigation into Perry's death.
Perry relapsed into substance abuse in the autumn of 2023.
Perry relapsed just before he passed away, according to investigators. He had been publicly candid about his battles with addiction.In a press conference held on Thursday, DEA administrator Anne Milgram revealed that the actor developed an addiction to "intravenous ketamine" while undergoing treatment for depression and anxiety. He sought treatment elsewhere after doctors declined to up his dosage.
More and more, Matthew Perry needed ketamine, and he wanted it quickly and cheaply as his addiction progressed. "That is how he ended up buying from street dealers who sold the ketamine that ultimately led to his death," she said, adding that the five individuals charged "are responsible for the death of Matthew Perry."
At a press appearance, Matthew Perry flashes a smile.
The inquiry into Matthew Perry's death has led to the arrest of several.
Who is facing charges related to Perry's demise?
According to a news release from the Department of Justice, three of the five have either already entered guilty pleas or have agreed to do so. The accused are listed here:As the indictment asserts, Jasveen Sangha—also known as "the Ketamine Queen"—supplied the ketamine that killed Perry. She will be arraigned soon after her arrest on Thursday.
A doctor named Dr. Salvador Plasencia is facing charges of providing ketamine to an aide who lives with actor Tyler Perry 'outside the regular course of professional practice and without a genuine medical reason on at least seven times'. He will be arraigned soon after his arrest on Thursday.
Following his acquisition of the ketamine from Sangha, Erik Fleming administered it to Perry's aide. He entered guilty pleas on two counts: one for distribution of ketamine that caused death and one for conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He acknowledged in court papers that he gave Perry's aide 50 vials of ketamine, with half of that dosage administered four days prior to Perry's demise.
Living with Perry: Kenneth Iwamasain the role of assistant acknowledged to "repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training." The day before the actor passed away, he injected Perry multiple times. On one count, Iwamasa admitted to conspiring to distribute ketamine with the intent to cause death. The man claims that Plasencia instructed him on how to inject ketamine into Perry's veins.
Plea bargain terms indicate that Dr. Mark Chavez confirmed to Plasencia that he sold ketamine and that he will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to spread ketamine.
With regard to Sangha's criminal record, there are a total of six counts: five counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with purpose to distribute ketamine, and one case of maintaining a drug-involved premises. A life sentence is the most possible penalty, and a mandatory minimum of ten years in federal prison is what she would face if found guilty of all charges.
On top of seven counts of ketamine distribution, Plasencia faces one count of conspiracy to distribute the drug, and two counts of manipulating or modifying papers or records pertaining to the federal investigation. For every offence involving ketamine, he might spend up to ten years behind bars, and for every count of records falsification, he could spend up to twenty.
📱 Extra information revealed in criminal complaint
Press announcement claims that Plasencia and Chavez plotted "about inventory, price, and availability of ketamine to sell to Perry and Iwamasa." In a text message to Chavez, Plasencia mentioned selling ketamine to Perry and added, "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "Lets [sic] find out."According to the press release, Iwamasa began obtaining ketamine from Fleming and Sangha about the middle of October. Sangha sent Fleming the following text message when news of Perry's death broke: "Delete all our messages."
The indictment states that Sangha supplied ketamine to Cody McLaury just hours before he overdosed in August 2019, despite her knowledge of the drug's dangers.
How does ketamine work?
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that the dissociative anaesthetic ketamine can cause mild hallucinations. It is permitted for licensed medical professionals to use ketamine therapy, which is gaining popularity as a mental health treatment. According to Perry's autopsy report, the actor was using ketamine for his melancholy and anxiety. But the coroner ruled that "the ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy" because the patient had only been given the medication 1.5 weeks prior to his passing.Ketamine is another recreationally used and widely used substance on the street. Its hallucinogenic effects made it a popular club drug in the 1990s. According to the coroner, Perry's ketamine levels were so high when he passed away that they were comparable to those used for general anaesthesia in surgical procedures.
Additional elements that played a role in Perry's demise
The official cause of Perry's death was determined to be "drug and drowning related." Buprenorphine, a medicine used to treat opioid use disorder, its side effects, coronary artery disease, and drowning were all named as contributory reasons by the Los Angeles medical examiner. Perry did not sugarcoat his struggle with an opiate addiction that spanned years. The cause of death was determined to be accidental.Please refresh the page to see the most recent updates to this ongoing story.
