Five individuals, including two doctors and Matthew Perry’s personal assistant, have been charged in connection with the actor’s drug-related death last year.
Police announced on Thursday that their investigation, which began in May, uncovered an extensive “underground criminal network” responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine.
Perry, 54, was found dead at his Los Angeles home in October. A post-mortem revealed a high concentration of ketamine in his blood, leading to the conclusion that the “acute effects” of the substance had caused his death.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada stated, “These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyway.”
Three of the accused, including Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, have already pleaded guilty to drug-related charges.
The other two defendants, a doctor and a woman referred to as the “Ketamine Queen,” were arrested on Thursday, according to the Justice Department.
Ketamine, typically used as an anesthetic, is also employed in treating depression, anxiety, and pain. Perry was reportedly undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, but those close to him informed investigators that his last session had occurred more than a week before his death.
The medical examiner concluded that the ketamine found in Perry’s system could not have resulted from the therapy, as the drug’s short half-life would have eliminated it by then.
The levels of ketamine were reportedly as high as those administered during general anesthesia.
The federal indictment outlines the complex drug procurement scheme that prosecutors claim led to Perry’s death.
According to the indictment, Iwamasa collaborated with two doctors to obtain over $50,000 worth of ketamine for Perry in the weeks leading up to his death.
Prosecutors argue that those involved sought to profit from Perry’s well-known struggles with substance abuse. One doctor, Salvador Plasencia, allegedly wrote in a text message, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Plasencia, 42, is accused of providing ketamine to Perry “outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.”
He also allegedly instructed Iwamasa on how to administer the drug without proper safety measures, according to the indictment.
In the four days before Perry’s death, Iwamasa allegedly administered at least 27 ketamine injections to the actor, despite warnings after a previous large dose had caused Perry to “freeze up.”
The others charged in the case include Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” who is accused of supplying the drug to Plasencia through two other co-defendants, Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez. Chavez, Fleming, and Iwamasa have all pleaded guilty.
Sangha and Plasencia appeared in Los Angeles court on Thursday, pleading not guilty. Their trials are tentatively set for October, with Plasencia granted a $100,000 bond while Sangha was denied bail.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants attempted to cover up their actions following Perry’s death. Sangha reportedly instructed another suspect to “delete all our messages,” and Plasencia is accused of falsifying medical records.
While Perry’s death was officially ruled an accident, drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine—a medication used to treat opioid use disorder—were also cited as contributing factors.
Perry had openly battled addiction to painkillers and alcohol during his career and chronicled his struggles in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
Source-BBC
