5 people, including 2 doctors, charged in connection with Matthew Perry's overdose death

LOS ANGELES (TCN) -- Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that five people have been arrested and charged in connection with "Friends" actor Matthew Perry’s fatal ketamine overdose in October 2023.

In a statement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said 41-year-old Jasveen Sangha, also allegedly known as the "Ketamine Queen," and Dr. Salvador Plasencia were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Prosecutors are also charging Sangha with maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine.

Plasencia has also been charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records.

The three other defendants include Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Erik Fleming, and Dr. Mark Chavez. Fleming pleaded guilty last week to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He reportedly confessed to buying 50 vials of ketamine from Sangha and providing the drugs to the actor. Sangha reportedly gave Fleming 25 vials days before Perry died.

Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death on Aug. 7. He reportedly "admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including performing multiple injections on Perry on October 28, 2023 — the day Perry died."

Additionally, Chavez agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He sold the drug to Plasencia after obtaining it from a drug clinic he used to run. Chavez reportedly made "false representations to a wholesale ketamine distributor" and submitted false prescriptions in a former patient’s name without their consent.

According to the statement, Plasencia learned Perry was "interested in obtaining ketamine" in September 2023. Plasencia reached out to Chavez to buy the drugs to sell to the "Friends" actor. Plasencia allegedly texted Chavez, "I wonder how much this moron will pay."

Plasencia reportedly taught Iwamasa how to inject the drug into Perry even though Iwamasa did not have a medical background or training.

Iwamasa and Fleming also started working with Sangha in October 2023 to obtain the drugs. Plasencia continued to sell Iwamasa the drugs even though he learned a week before the actor’s death that "Perry’s ketamine addiction was spiraling out of control."

On the day he died, Perry received "multiple ketamine injections." Once news of his death became public, Sangha texted Fleming, "Delete all our messages."

In 2019, Sangha sold ketamine to Cody McLaury hours before he overdosed. One of the victim’s family members texted her and said her drugs killed McLaury, but prosecutors say Sangha "nonetheless continued to sell ketamine from her stash house."

Agents searched Sangha’s house and found "evidence of drug trafficking," including over 3 pounds of meth pills, cocaine, and prescription drugs that "appeared to be fraudulently obtained."

Plasencia allegedly falsified records to make it seem like he had a "treatment plan" for Perry.

Sangha could face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Plasencia could face 70 years for the ketamine charges alone. Iwamasa will be sentenced to up to 15 years and Fleming to a maximum of 25 years, while Chavez will get up to 10 years.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in the statement, "These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being. Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause."

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