What we know about the 5 people charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death
By Taylor Romine and Cheri Mossburg, CNN
(CNN) — Five people have been charged in connection with the death of beloved actor Matthew Perry after prosecutors say they took advantage of his vulnerability as an addict and supplied him with the drug that would ultimately kill him.
Prosecutors say an underground network of drug sellers and suppliers – including two doctors, Perry’s live-in personal assistant, a person referred to by authorities as the “Ketamine Queen,” and a man accused of being a go-between – were responsible for distributing the ketamine, a potentially deadly drug, that killed Perry.
Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” died in October 2023 at age 54 because of “acute effects of ketamine” and subsequent drowning, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy report. His body was found floating face down in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home.
Investigators believe Perry – who previously detailed his decades-long struggles with drugs – “fell back into addiction” last fall, US Attorney Martin Estrada said in announcing the charges last week. The defendants “took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues,” Estrada said.
According to the Associated Press, people close to Perry told coroner’s investigators he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. The medical examiner said he was being treated by a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist, and his last ketamine therapy treatment was a week and a half before his death, the AP reported. Perry obtained dozens of vials of ketamine from just one of the defendants, costing at least $200 per vial, according to court documents.
Doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez worked to supply Perry with ketamine, Estrada alleged. Perry’s acquaintance Erik Fleming said he obtained ketamine from alleged drug dealer Jasveen Sangha and distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, according to prosecutors. And Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, injected the actor with ketamine despite having no medical training, Estrada said.
Three of the five charged have reached plea agreements, while Plasencia and Sangha were indicted on Wednesday, the US attorney said. Here’s what we know about the five people charged in the actor’s death:
Kenneth Iwamasa
Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, was a personal assistant for over 25 years, according to his LinkedIn page. He is accused of procuring and injecting Perry with ketamine, according to a document detailing the allegations against him.
Iwamasa had “various responsibilities” related to Perry’s medical care, including scheduling medical appointments and making sure he took “lawfully prescribed” medication, the court documents state.
On his LinkedIn page, he describes himself as a talent manager and executive assistant who is “discreet, loyal and honor(s) absolute confidentiality.”
Starting in late September 2023, Iwamasa began asking Dr. Plasencia about a ketamine supply and later coordinated with Fleming to get even more of the drug, according to Iwamasa’s plea agreement. Perry was present at the first meeting, it said. No information was shared in court documents on how Perry asked Iwamasa to get ketamine.
During the final week of Perry’s life, Iwamasa injected him with at least 27 shots of ketamine, according to Iwamasa’s plea agreement. Iwamasa “performed multiple injections on Perry on October 28, 2023 – the day Perry died,” the Department of Justice said in a news release.
Iwamasa was the one who injected the fatal dose of ketamine, giving Perry at least three doses on the day he died, the plea agreement says.
Iwamasa injected the actor at about 8:30 a.m. and again around 12:45 p.m. that day, according to the assistant’s plea agreement. About 40 minutes later, Perry asked Iwamasa to prepare a jacuzzi and said, “Shoot me up with a big one,” according to the court document.
After he gave Perry the third injection, Iwamasa went to do errands, leaving Perry in the hot tub. When he returned, he found Perry dead, “face down in the jacuzzi,” the agreement says.
Iwamasa then told Fleming he had “cleaned up the scene” to remove drugs and paraphernalia and deleted any evidence of the drug deals, a plea agreement with Fleming says.
Perry’s assistant pleaded guilty on August 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, the US attorney’s office said.
CNN has reached out to Iwamasa’s attorney for comment.
Dr. Mark Chavez
Chavez never met Perry, Department of Justice spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy told CNN.
But Chavez provided Plasencia with the ketamine given to Perry through a fraudulent prescription, according to a document outlining the allegations against him.
Chavez, 54, received his medical degree in 2004 from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, according to his website, which advertises tailored health services.
He describes his role as “helping his clients obtain optimum health and longevity through personalized coaching,” the website states.
Chavez was affiliated with the clinic Dreamscape Ketamine until he got into an argument with his business partner in July 2023 and took all the prescription drugs – including ketamine – because the partner was not a medical doctor, his plea agreement says.
Chavez did lawfully transfer some of the drugs to a different medical facility but kept other drugs, including ketamine lozenges and at least 12 vials of ketamine, according to the plea agreement.
Before Perry’s death, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Medical Board of California had already launched an investigation into Chavez after he lied and said he transferred all the liquid ketamine to the new medical facility and threw out the lozenges as they melted in his vehicle, the plea agreement says.
As of Sunday, Chavez remained under investgiation, the state medical board said. CNN has reached out to the DEA for comment.
Chavez’s license remains active through June 2026, according to the Medical Board of California.
He “has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine,” according to the Department of Justice news release.
Chavez’s attorney, Matthew Binninger, declined to comment on the case.
“Due to the ongoing nature of the case out of the Central District, neither Mark Chavez nor myself will be making any statements at this time,” Binninger told CNN.
Erik Fleming
Fleming, 54, distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, according to his plea agreement. He was acquainted with Perry through a mutual friend, the agreement states, without giving details.
Fleming texted Perry on October 4, 2023, offering to sell ketamine and on October 10, specifying liquid ketamine, but the plea agreement doesn’t say if Perry responded either time. Fleming then started texting Iwamasa on October 10, and they began negotiating a price, the agreement says.
A few days later, the plea agreement says, Fleming took a sample vial to Iwamasa, and on October 14, Fleming delivered 25 vials for $5,500. Two other sales of that size followed in subsequent days, the agreement says.
According to the agreement, Fleming obtained the ketamine from Sangha, who is charged with nine counts of drug-related charges, some in relation to Perry’s death. It said Iwamasa purchased ketamine through Fleming at least three times in October before Perry died.
After the actor died, Fleming discussed concealing the drug deals by deleting messages with Sangha and Iwamasa, the plea agreement says.
Fleming texted Sangha and said he was “90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with (Perry). Only his Assistant. So the Assistant was the enabler,” according to the agreement.
Fleming has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, according to the US attorney.
Fleming’s attorney declined to comment on the case Thursday.
Jasveen Sangha
Sangha, whom authorities call the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood, ran what amounted to “a drug selling emporium” in her home, US Attorney Estrada said last week.
Fleming started reaching out to Sangha by mid-October to buy vials of ketamine on Perry’s behalf, according to Fleming’s plea agreement.
Sangha has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine.
The judge revoked a bond Sangha had from a prior charge that was not shared in court and ordered her to remain in detention. Prosecutors argued she is a “significant risk to flee” given her extensive international travel, dual United States and British citizenship and because she appears to be funding herself through drug sales.
CNN has reached out to her attorney for comment.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia
About one month before Perry’s death, Plasencia learned the actor was interested in purchasing ketamine and contacted Chavez, according to court documents.
“Defendant Plasencia saw this as an opportunity to profit off of Mr. Perry,” Estrada said.
The US attorney said Plasencia wrote in a September 2023 text message: “I wonder how much this moron will pay?”
In other texts, Plasencia wrote he wanted to be Perry’s sole supplier, Estrada said.
Over the next several weeks, prosecutors said, Plasencia purchased ketamine from Chavez, sold vials of the drug to Perry’s assistant and taught the assistant how to administer the drug.
Plasencia also went to Perry’s house to drop off ketamine and even injected the drug for Perry in the back of a vehicle in a parking lot, prosecutors said.
On October 12, Plasencia “administered a large dose” to Perry that caused an “adverse medical reaction,” prosecutors said in court documents. Perry’s systolic blood pressure spiked, and he froze up, unable to speak or move, prosecutors said.
Plasencia has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.
He was released after posting a $100,000 bond and surrendered his passport and DEA license, which allowed him to prescribe controlled substances, on an order from Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar. His trial is set for October 8.
Plasencia is expected to return to his practice at Malibu Canyon Urgent Care “anytime this week,” his attorney Stefan Sacks told CNN Tuesday.
Plasencia will not be allowed to prescribe any controlled substances, and his patients must sign a consent form acknowledging the pending federal case against him, Sacks said.
When asked Tuesday if his client had considered a plea agreement, Sacks said it was “too early” to say because the defense team has yet to receive any of the prosecution’s evidence in the case.
Plasencia’s LinkedIn page describes him as a physician at telehealth company TeliMedi.com, which he founded.
“I decided to create TeliMedi as a way to improve my access to patients that needed immediate care,” Plasencia said in a message on the company’s website. “I am trained in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and have experience working in the Emergency Room.”
Plasencia’s medical license is active through October 2024, according to the Medical Board of California.
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CNN’s Jack Hannah, Scott Glover, John Miller, Lisa Respers France, Holly Yan, Jay Croft and Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this report.
