‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry dead at 54 after apparent drowning. Video / NZ Herald
Matthew Perry’s personal assistant allegedly injected him more than 20 times with ketamine in the four days leading up to his death, according to charges filed in California.
Two doctors, another acquaintance and a woman known as the “ketamine queen” are among several people who have been charged with providing him with the ketamine that caused his death, according to court papers filed in California.
A doctor named in an indictment filed earlier this week said in a text message that he “wondere[d] how much this moron will pay” for the drugs.
Some allegedly involved in distributing the drugs referred to vials of ketamine as “Dr Pepper”, “cans” and “bots”, the prosecutors said.
Matthew Perry was discovered face down in a hot tub at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles last October. File photo / Getty Images
Charges were filed against several individuals accused of variously distributing ketamine and methamphetamine and falsifying records related to a federal investigation.
‘Ketamine queen’
Salvador Plasencia, a doctor at an urgent care centre, and a woman prosecutors said was known as the “ketamine queen” are among those accused of supplying drugs to Perry.
The grand jury indictment said the two people worked to procure ketamine despite knowing that he had a history of drug abuse.
A source close to the investigation told The New York Times that Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, acquaintance Erik Fleming and another doctor, Mark Chavez, had also been charged with various counts including conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
The charges come after reports that multiple people were arrested in Southern California in connection with Perry’s death. The actor, known for his role in the sitcom Friends, was found dead in October last year aged 54.
Matthew Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the American sitcom Friends. Photo / Getty Images
The court papers say Dr Plasencia texted Dr Chavez about selling ketamine to Perry, referring to him as “victim M.P.” on September 30.
The coroner’s report after Perry’s death found that he had a high dosage of ketamine present in his system at the time of his death, which was ruled an accident.
Although Perry had been given ketamine treatment for his mental health conditions, the medical examiner in Los Angeles said he must have taken the drug separately, and that the amount present in his system was similar to the quantity that would be used as an anaesthetic.
The indictment filed earlier this week said Dr Plasencia sold thousands of dollars of ketamine to Perry’s assistant, Iwamasa, and injected him with the drug at his LA home.
'He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking,' Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel Green, said in December. Photo / Getty Images
Four days before Perry’s death, Sangha sold Fleming, the acquaintance, 25 vials of ketamine. Iwamasa is accused of injecting him 20 times over the next four days, which prosecutors said led to his death.
Sangha was charged earlier this year with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Police raided her home in March and found 79 bottles of ketamine and almost 2000 methamphetamine pills. She has pleaded not guilty.
