Mike Pont/WireImage Five people have been indicted on federal charges stemming from the investigation into Friends actor Matthew Perry ’s death, the US Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, August 15.
An autopsy revealed that Perry died as a result of the " acute effects of ketamine " on October 28, 2023. His personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa , as well as Jasveen Sangha (a.k.a. “the Ketamine Queen”), Mark Chavez , Salvador Plasencia and Erik Fleming have all been charged.
Perry, who was 54, had been using ketamine therapy to treat his depression . In his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," he revealed ketamine also helped “ease pain” from his addiction struggles.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that charges against the five individuals include conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and altering and falsifying records related to a federal investigation .
Matthew Perry’s Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline
Keep scrolling to learn more about how each defendant became embroiled in the case. Kenneth Iwamasa
APEX/MEGA Iwamasa, Perry’s live-in personal assistant, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
On the day of Perry’s death, Iwamasa administered three doses of ketamine to the actor, beginning with a first dose around 8:30 that morning and a second one four hours later. He said he administered the third dose just 40 minutes after that before preparing the hot tub for Perry and leaving the actor to run errands. Iwamasa found Perry unresponsive in the hot tub when he returned home.
While those are the three injections that prosecutors allege led to Perry’s death, Iwamasa claimed he administered 27 total in the final five days of Perry’s life. Iwamasa does not have any medical training and was following instructions laid out by Plasencia. Breaking Down Matthew Perry’s Trust Beneficiaries Including His Half-Siblings and Ex-Girlfriend Jasveen Sangha Courtesy of Jasveen Sangha/Instagram Sangha, also referred to as the “Ketamine Queen,” is accused of supplying Perry with the ketamine that ultimately caused his death. She is charged with one count each of […]
Matthew Perry’s Assistant, Doctors Face Charges: A Guide to the Investigation into the Actor’s Death
