5 charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s overdose death, including doctors and ‘Ketamine Queen’
Five people — including two doctors and a notorious drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” — have been arrested and face criminal charges in connection with Matthew Perry’s death from an accidental ketamine overdose last year, according to law enforcement.
Federal and Los Angeles law enforcement officials announced the arrests during a press conference Thursday afternoon.
‘Investigation has revealed a broad, underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others.’
Those arrested are Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; physician Mark Chavez, Dr. Salvador Plasencia; Jasveen Sangha; and Eric Fleming.
Sangha and Plasencia are the lead defendants, and each has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
Sangha, 41, also has been charged with one count of maintaining a 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.
Plasencia, 42, also has been charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.
If convicted on all charges, Sangha would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Plasencia could face up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of falsifying records.
Sangha and Plasencia are expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Fleming, 54, on Aug. 8 pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
“Fleming admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. “He further admitted to obtaining the ketamine from his source, Sangha, and to distributing 50 vials of ketamine to Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa — half of them four days before Perry’s death.”
Iwamasa, 59, on Aug. 7 pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
Iwamasa allegedly conspired with Sangha, Fleming, and Plasencia to illegally obtain ketamine and sell it to Perry. Iwamasa confessed to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including performing multiple injections on the “Friends” star on Oct. 28, 2023 — the day Perry died.
Iwamasa and Fleming will face up to 15 years and 25 years, respectively, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Chavez, 54, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
Chavez admitted to selling ketamine to Plasencia, including some that Chavez had taken from Chavez’s previous ketamine clinic.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California added, “Chavez also obtained additional ketamine to transfer to Plasencia by making false representations to a wholesale ketamine distributor and by submitting a fraudulent prescription in the name of a former patient without that patient’s knowledge or consent.”
Chavez will be arraigned Aug. 30. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
‘These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves.’
Authorities noted that Sangha is known as the “Ketamine Queen” because she allegedly is a big-time seller of the dangerous drug.
Law enforcement officials described Sangha’s North Hollywood house as a “drug-selling emporium” and declared they found 80 vials of ketamine, thousands of pills, methamphetamine, and cocaine at her home.
Authorities said Sangha also sold ketamine to a 33-year-old man who died from an overdose in August 2019.
Immediately after the overdose death, Sangha allegedly conducted a Google search for “Can ketamine be listed as a cause of death[?]”
“Investigation has revealed a broad, underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at Thursday’s press conference. “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.'”
“These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves,” Estrada continued. “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. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.”
Estrada said that the defendants dealt Perry approximately 20 vials of ketamine in exchange for $55,000 in cash between September and October 2023.
Plasencia — a licensed medical doctor known as “Dr. P.” — allegedly wrote in a text message in September 2023, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Perry, 54, died at his Los Angeles home Oct. 28, 2023. An assistant found him unresponsive and face-down in his hot tub.
In December, the Los Angeles County medical examiner revealed Perry’s cause of death was the result of “the acute effects of ketamine.”
“There were trace amounts of ketamine detected in the stomach contents,” the report continued. “He was reported to be receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety.”
The coroner said contributing factors included drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine — a drug used to treat opioid use disorder.
Perry struggled with addiction for many years.
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