Prosecutors have charged five people – the actor’s live-in assistant, “ketamine queen” drug dealer and two doctors, with distributing large quantities of ketamine to Perry and others. Three of the defendants, including a doctor, have already pleaded guilty to federal drug charges, while two others were arrested.
The case involves a wide-ranging investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, DEA, U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The lead defendants are Sangha and Plasencia, who are expected to be arraigned later Thursday. The three others separately charged include Iwamasa, Chavez, and Fleming. One of the detective said in the press conference on the breaking news that the defendants took advantage of Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves, risking great danger to him.
Matthew Perry, a former “Friends” star, died from a ketamine overdose in October 2023. The autopsy listed drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects as contributing factors not related to the immediate cause of death. Perry had high levels of ketamine in his blood, likely lapsed into unconsciousness and then went under water.
He was reported to have been receiving ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety, but the medical examiner wrote that the ketamine in his system at death could not have been from that infusion therapy, as ketamine’s half-life is three to four hours or less.