Doctor charged over Matthew Perry’s ketamine-related death

Dr Salvador Plascencia, accused of supplying the ketamine that led to Matthew Perry’s death, realised the actor’s life was in jeopardy when he witnessed an overdose just days before Perry’s demise, according to prosecutors.

Plascencia, 42, held a license to administer ketamine but enlisted help from another doctor to meet Perry’s escalating demand in the weeks leading up to his death in October last year. Allegations suggest Plascencia showed disdain for Perry as his addiction worsened, reportedly wondering how much Perry would pay.

A seizure during an overdose 16 days before Perry’s death revealed the actor’s precarious state. “Let’s not do that again,” Plascencia told Perry’s assistant.

Authorities disclosed these details on Thursday after arresting Plascencia and four others following a grand jury indictment. Perry was found unresponsive in his LA home’s hot tub on October 28 by his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The cause of death was identified as “the acute effects of ketamine.”

Iwamasa admitted to administering the fatal doses, having been trained by Plascencia. On October 4, Iwamasa reported successfully injecting Perry, noting he “found the sweet spot” but ran out of ketamine after trying different injection sites.

Documents reveal Perry spent $55,000 on ketamine from Plascencia in the two months before his death, with Iwamasa injecting Perry 27 times in five days. San Diego doctor Mark Chavez, 54, admitted to diverting supplies from his clinic with fake prescriptions to meet Perry’s demands.

Plascencia and Chavez charged Perry $2,000 for a vial of ketamine costing $12. Iwamasa used coded language in encrypted messages to request ketamine, referring to it as “Dr Pepper,” “cans,” and “bots,” and occasionally inquired about alternative payment methods.

Unable to keep up with demand, Iwamasa sought extra supplies from Perry’s friend Eric Fleming, 54, who turned to Jasveen Sangha, Hollywood’s alleged “Ketamine Queen.” Sangha sold dozens of vials to Iwamasa and even included ketamine lollipops.

Prosecutors claim Sangha was aware of the drug’s risks, citing a 2019 overdose death of a client. “The ketamine you sold my brother killed him,” a relative texted Sangha.

Initially, Plascencia handled Perry’s injections during home visits. However, on October 10, Plascencia injected Perry in a parked car at a Long Beach car lot. Two days later, after Perry’s near-fatal overdose, Plascencia warned Iwamasa but still provided more ketamine.

Iwamasa’s expertise grew, leading to up to six daily injections before finding Perry dead on October 28. As news of Perry’s death spread that evening, Sangha instructed Fleming to “delete all our messages.” However, police had already targeted her.

A March raid on Sangha’s home uncovered significant quantities of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine and ketamine. Prosecutors described Sangha as a “large volume drug dealer” identified by the DEA, LAPD, and US Postal Inspection Service. Analysis of her phone revealed transactions and videos of her “cooking ketamine.”

Sangha faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted. Plascencia faces charges for distributing ketamine and falsifying records, with potential sentences of up to 10 years per ketamine-related count and 20 years per falsification count.

Fleming admitted distributing ketamine to Iwamasa, who confessed to giving it to Perry. Iwamasa faces up to 15 years, and Fleming up to 25 years, in federal prison. Chavez, charged under a plea agreement, faces up to 10 years at sentencing on August 30.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram stated that each defendant played a key role in Perry’s death by providing ketamine. US Attorney Martin Estrada emphasised that drug dealers prioritised profit over Perry’s well-being, stressing accountability for causing deaths through dangerous substances.