New details have circulated in connection with the death of Friends beloved star Matthew Perry, who was found dead in his jacuzzi in October 2023. The actor, who was vocal about his struggles with addiction, was allegedly taken advantage of by the defendants, as stated by United States Attorney Martin Estrada. The actor died after he was injected with three shots of ketamine the same day. The Justice Department accused all of the defendants responsible for Perry’s death, out of which three have pleaded guilty. Here are the five defendants who have been charged with having been involved in the distribution of ketamine to Perry.
Jasveen Sangha
Known as the “Ketamine Queen,” the prosecutors claim that Sangha has distributed the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s death. She is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. According to a federal indictment, Sangha is also accused of running a stash house in North Hollywood, where she reportedly stored, packaged, and distributed narcotics. The indictment also alleges that she sold drugs to “high-end clients and celebrities.” If found guilty, she faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and could be sentenced to life in prison.
Salvador Plasencia
Among the defendants was one of the two doctors charged in Matthew Perry’s death, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who was accused of supplying drugs to Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The Friends actor’s assistant has pleaded guilty to his involvement in getting the ketamine to the actor. Additionally, the doctor was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine, and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.
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According to the indictment, Plasencia is accused of reaching out to fellow physician Mark Chavez to buy ketamine, which authorities claim he intended to sell to Matthew Perry. The indictment mentions that Plasencia allegedly referred to the ketamine bottles using code names like “Dr. Pepper,” “cans,” and “bots.” Furthermore, the prosecutors cite alleged text messages from Plasencia in which he said, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” If Plasencia is convicted on all charges, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each ketamine-related offense and up to 20 years for falsifying records.
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Kenneth Iwamasa
Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa was present at the time of his death. He has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, which resulted in death, and admitted to injecting Matthew Perry “repeatedly” in the days before his death, including three times on the day the actor died. Iwamasa’s plea agreement states that after Perry was already given two doses of ketamine, the actor told him to “shoot me up with a big one” and prepare for a hot bath afterward. When the assistant returned after running errands, Perry was dead, face down in the water. Perry’s assistant can face up to 15 years in prison.
Erik Fleming
According to the Department of Justice, Erik Fleming was the acquaintance between Sangha and Perry, who coordinated the sale of ketamine. Moreover, Fleming has admitted that he distributed ketamine to Iwamasa, which killed the Numb actor, claiming he purchased the drugs from Sangha. The authorities also shared that after Matthew Perry’s death, Sangha contacted Fleming to delete all of their messages. Fleming has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He can face up to 25 years in prison.
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Mark Chavez
Dr. Mark Chavez is the second doctor connected to the death of Perry. As per prosecutors, he is expected to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Moreover, the doctor has admitted to selling ketamine to Plasencia as per his plea agreement and also stated that he used to operate a ketamine clinic and diverted some of the ketamine from the clinic.
The prosecutors allege that Chavez has also acquired more ketamine by submitting a fraudulent prescription in the name of a former patient without the patient’s knowledge. He is also accused of making false statements to a wholesale ketamine distributor. Chavez is scheduled for an arraignment on August 30 and could face up to 10 years if convicted.
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