Matthew Perry death probe: 2 doctors, actor’s assistant among 5 charged with getting him ketamine

Ten months after the tragic death of 'Friends' star Matthew Perry, law enforcement agencies have made multiple arrests in Southern California.

Federal authorities announced on August 15 that two doctors, a live-in personal assistant, an acquaintance, and a drug dealer known as the ‘ketamine queen’ were involved in a conspiracy to supply Perry with the ketamine that led to his accidental overdose.

All five individuals have been charged in connection with Perry's death. Authorities stated that as Perry's ketamine addiction worsened last fall, the group exploited his vulnerable state for financial gain.

“We charged five defendants in this matter. These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking. Great danger to Mr. Perry. But they did it anyways," said Martin Estrada, United States Attorney for the Central District of California.

"The two lead defendants in this case are defendants Salvador Plasencia and defendant Jasveen Sangha. First, I'll talk about the defendant. Placentia. Defendant Placentia was a medical doctor. He worked with another medical doctor, defendant Mark Chavez, to obtain ketamine. He then worked with Mr. Perry's live-in assistant, defendant Kenneth Iwamasa, to distribute that ketamine to Mr. Perry. Over two months, from September to October 2023, they distributed approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Mr. Perry in exchange for $55,000 in cash," he continued.

“Defendant Placentia saw this as an opportunity to profit off of Mr. Perry, he wrote in a text message in September 2023, quote, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay.' He also stated in text messages that he wanted to be Mr. Perry's sole source of supply. He wrote in a text message that he wanted to be Mr. Perry's quote, 'go to for drugs,'” he stated.

Matthew Perry passed away in October 2023 from a ketamine overdose. Prosecutors revealed that on the day of his death, he received multiple injections from his live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who later discovered Perry's body and was the first to speak with investigators.

Perry had been receiving regular ketamine infusions for depression from his usual doctors—doses far below the lethal amount. When these doctors declined to increase his dosage, Perry, in desperation, sought out other providers.

According to the prosecutor, the defendants exchanged messages shortly after Perry's death, referencing ketamine as the cause. Estrada stated that they later deleted these messages and falsified medical records in an effort to cover up their involvement.

Perry's autopsy, released in December, revealed that the ketamine levels in his blood were within the range typically used for general anesthesia during surgery. The medical examiner identified ketamine as the primary cause of death, which was ruled accidental, with no foul play suspected. Drowning and other medical conditions were listed as contributing factors by the coroner.

Perry had battled addiction for years, dating back to his time on ‘Friends,’ where he became one of the biggest television stars of his generation, portraying Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. The NBC megahit sitcom ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

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