Five people have been charged in the death of American actor and Friends star Matthew Perry.
The defendants in the case are doctors Salvador Plascencia and Mark Chavez, drug dealer Jaswyn Sangha, Perry’s personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and the actor’s friend Eric Fleming.
All five were accused of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and face a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
According to the DOJ, last year, Plascencia learned that Perry was interested in ketamine as a means of dealing with depression and anxiety and contacted Chavez, who ran a ketamine clinic. They agreed on how much money they planned to charge the actor. Plascencia allegedly texted Chavez: “I wonder how much this idiot will pay.” Later, Chavez admitted in a plea agreement that he had sold ketamine to Plascencia and faces 10 years in prison.
After that, according to investigators, Plascencia gave the ketamine to Perry and his personal assistant “without a legitimate medical purpose” and taught Iwamasa how to inject the drug.
Iwamasa admitted that he injected Perry with ketamine without having a medical degree. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Fleming, according to investigators, gave Iwamasa 50 ampoules of ketamine that he received from a Sangha drug dealer. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
Iwamasa also injected Perry with ketamine. Fleming and Sangha sold him on October 28, 2023, the same day Perry died in his home. If found guilty, Sangha faces the most severe penalty of life in prison.
