Matthew Perry’s overdose death sparked a federal investigation which revealed a “plethora of criminal activity.”
Law enforcement officials were disturbed by the disregard for human life as they combed through evidence before authorities arrested and charged a handful of suspects, including two doctors, in connection with Perry’s death, according to the Peacock documentary, “Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy.”
A recovering addict, Perry was candid about his struggle with substance abuse issues and journey with alcoholism. The “Friends” star died on Oct. 28, 2023, after an apparent drowning in the hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home, authorities confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time.
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Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a ketamine source, was introduced to Perry by his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa in September 2023. Plasencia, who obtained ketamine from Dr. Mark Chavez, allegedly taught the assistant how to inject Perry with the drug. Chavez previously ran a ketamine clinic and allegedly submitted a bogus prescription in the name of a former patient to secure the drug.
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“There was just such a degree of almost disdain for Mr. Perry, and these were his doctors. It’s sickening actually,” retired Los Angeles Police Department detective Greg Kading said in the documentary.
The morning of Perry’s death, his assistant, Iwamasa, allegedly administered a shot of ketamine to the actor around 8:30, according to Iwamasa’s plea agreement. By 12:45 p.m., Perry had instructed Iwamasa to give him another injection while Perry watched a movie.
Roughly 40 minutes later, Perry requested another injection, allegedly telling Iwamasa, “Shoot me up with a big one,” according to the plea agreement.
“On the last day of Matthew Perry’s life, Mr. Iwamasa injects Mr. Perry several times, and one last injection, he leaves, goes to run some errands, comes back, and we find Mr. Perry passed away,” Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in the documentary.
Iwamasa allegedly learned how to inject ketamine from Plasencia, who then left vials of the dissociative anesthetic drug for Iwamasa to inject Perry at his home. The drug was allegedly secured through “The Ketamine Queen,” aka Jasveen Sangha, her co-conspirator, Dr. Chavez, and middleman, Eric Fleming.
“There’s a whole plethora of criminal activity,” Kading said. “Once a responsible doctor realizes a person is abusing drugs, he’ll no longer prescribe it to you. So then they have to go find another, more friendly doctor until they find somebody with no consideration or concern about responsibilities.”
Kading added, “When you read some of the communications that law enforcement was able to get its hands on, it’s sickening actually.”
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“Dr. Plasencia was very clear in text messages and other messages in saying that he saw this as an opportunity to make a lot of money in a short amount of time, and allegedly he did just that,” Estrada said. “He sets the prices, which were an exorbitant amount. And the indictment contains evidence that he sold, over about a month, 20 vials of ketamine to Mr. Perry in exchange for $55,000.”
The vials of ketamine allegedly cost Dr. Chavez approximately $12 each. At one point, Dr. Plasencia wrote to Dr. Chavez, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Let’s find out.”
“These are medical doctors,” Kading said. “When it reached a point where Mr. Perry’s request or demand for more ketamine became so great that Dr. P and Dr. Chavez could not provide that amount, they then reached out to an intermediary who was this Mr. [Eric] Fleming.,” Kading said.
“Mr. Fleming in turn, went to, reached out to an individual named Jasveen Sangha, known as the ‘Ketamine Queen.'”
Estrada noted that evidence seized determined Sangha allegedly sold “about 50 vials of ketamine over two weeks for about $11,000 to Mr. Perry.”
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Sangha and Plasencia are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Sangha is also 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.
“My client never met Matthew Perry, has nothing to do with Matthew Perry, and all the supposed rumors otherwise, are just that — urban legends,” Sangha’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, previously said in a clip aired during the documentary. “This theory that the so-called fatal dose is somehow linked to my client is absolute garbage.”
If convicted of all charges, Sangha would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Plasencia would face up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each records falsification count.
Fleming pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 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. He also agreed to a plea deal.
Chavez agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine as part of his plea agreement. The San Diego-based doctor admitted to selling ketamine to Plasencia, including ketamine that he had diverted from his former ketamine clinic.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, and, per Estrada, has already filed a plea agreement.
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic drug with “established medical and surgical uses,” the autopsy detailed. Perry reportedly received “ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety.”
Sangha and Plasencia’s trial was originally scheduled for March 4, but has been rescheduled for August.
“Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy” premieres Tuesday, Feb. 25, on Peacock.
