GUWAHATI: Five individuals, including two doctors and actor Matthew Perry's personal assistant, have been charged in connection with his drug-related death last year, according to authorities.
The investigation, which began in May, revealed a "broad underground criminal network" involved in distributing large quantities of ketamine. Perry, 54, passed away at his Los Angeles home in October, with a post-mortem revealing a fatal concentration of ketamine in his blood.
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US Attorney Martin Estrada criticised the defendants for exploiting Perry's addiction issues for personal gain. Three of the accused, including Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, have already pleaded guilty to drug charges. On Thursday, two more suspects, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, known as "The Ketamine Queen," were arrested. Plasencia, 42, is alleged to have provided Perry with ketamine outside legitimate medical practices and instructed Iwamasa on unsafe injection methods.
The indictment details a complex scheme involving over $50,000 worth of ketamine supplied to Perry in the weeks before his death. Prosecutors allege the defendants attempted to conceal their actions after Perry's death, with Sangha reportedly instructing a co-defendant to delete messages and Plasencia accused of falsifying medical records. Both Sangha and Plasencia have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in October.
Perry developed an addiction to ketamine while seeking treatment. When his regular medical professionals refused to help, he was introduced to the two charged doctors. Jasveen Sangha, 41, the drug dealer also known as "The Ketamine Queen," and licensed doctors Dr. Salvador Plascencia, 42, and Dr. Mark Chavez, are said to have orchestrated the plan together with another street dealer to exploit the situation.
The ‘disturbing’ text exchange between the doctors reveals that out of desperation, Perry turned to them for ketamine. In a text exchange between them, one doctor reportedly said, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Perry, driven by desperation, paid $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost the physicians about $12.
