Doctors, Drug Dealers and Personal Assistant Charged in Perry’s Ketamine Overdose

Today we announce charges brought against the five individuals who, together, are responsible for the death of Matthew Perry. We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s tragic death.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram as quoted in a press release regarding today’s announcement that five people now face charges in the death of Matthew Perry, widely known for his role as Chandler Bing on the popular show “Friends.” The primary cause of Perry’s death in October 2023 was ketamine.

Why It Matters: As a result of a joint investigation between the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service, five people now face charges in the death of actor Matthew Perry, who overdosed on ketamine in October 2023. Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, “admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including performing multiple injections on Perry on October 28, 2023 – the day Perry died.” Perry had a decades-long history of substance abuse.

What is ketamine? An anesthetic drug used for short-term sedation and anesthesia. A nasal spray version can be used for treatment-resistant depression but only at a certified doctor office or clinic. Also available illegally, liquid ketamine is injected with syringes and powdered ketamine mixed in a drink. Learn more HERE.

Who was charged and why?

-San Diego physician Dr. Mark Chavez, who formerly ran a ketamine clinic and now has a plea deal
-Alleged drug dealer Erik Fleming, who has pleaded guilty
-Perry’s personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who has pleaded guilty
-Santa Monica physician Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who obtained the ketamine from Dr. Chavez and provided Iwamasa with both instructions as well as syringes
-Alleged drug dealer Jasveen Sangha (reportedly known as “The Ketamine Queen”)

Read More: Five Defendants, Including Two Doctors, Charged in Connection with Actor Matthew Perry’s Fatal Drug Overdose Last Year (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California)
Five charged over Matthew Perry’s death (BBC News)