Matthew Perry's assistant and four others arrested in connection with 2023 death of Friends actor

Matthew Perry 's assistant, an acquaintance, two doctors and a drug dealer have been arrested in connection with the 2023 death of the Friends actor , confirmed  United States Attorney Martin Estradaa.

The comedy star was found dead in the jacuzzi of his home in Los Angeles on October 28, 2024 aged 54; it was later confirmed he had died from acute effects of ketamine and an investigation into how and from who the actor acquired the drugs has been ongoing.

Mr Estrada said the investigation uncovered a “broad underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantity of ketamine to Perry and others”.

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Documents filed in federal court in California reveal that Matthew's personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, has been charged with counts including conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

A doctor, Mark Chavez, and Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of the actor, were also charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Jasveen Sangha, known according to prosecutors as "the Ketamine Queen," and Salvador Plasencia, known as "Dr. P," were charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and altering and falsifying records related to a federal investigation.

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The documents allege Mr Iwamasa had "worked with two doctors and a drug dealer to procure thousands of dollars worth of ketamine for Mr. Perry, who had long struggled with substance abuse and addiction, in the weeks leading up to his death".

There were also numerous text messages and encrypted messages using code words such as "Doctor Pepper" for the ketamine, and in one text message, prosecutors allege Dr. Plasencia wrote: "I wonder how much this moron will pay," when discussing Matthew.

The documents also allege thousands of dollars worth of ketamine were sold to Mr. Iwamasa, and prosecutors allege Dr. Plasenci personally injected Matthew with the drug on several different days.

“ We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously, ” the family of Keith Morrison, Matthew's step-father, said. “We look forward to justice taking its course.”

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An autopsy after his death confirmed that although the actor had been receiving ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety, the amount of ketamine found in his system after his death could not have been from any infusion therapy, because ketamine's half life is three to four hours, or less.

Matthew was found on Saturday October 28 in his jacuzzi by his assistant , who had been sent out on errands after Matthew had returned home from a game of pickleball.

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Most well known for his role as Chandler Bing in the comedy Friends which ran for 10 years between 1992 and 2002 , Matthew starred alongside, and became close friends with, his co-stars David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox,  Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and Matt Le Blanc.

The show was a huge success and by its tenth season they were each making $1million per episode, and in 2021 the six stars came together on the Warner Bros lot for the first time publicly in 19 years for an interview and read-through of one of the episodes.

But off-screen he battled with devastating addictions to alcohol and drugs;  the actor revealed that at one point he was down to 128 pounds and taking 55 Vicodin a day

In 2022 Matthew released his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing , and revealed he had almost died at the age of 49 when his colon burst from opioid overuse. He then spent five months in hospital and nine months with a colostomy bag.

Matthew admitted: "The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live. I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that's called a Hail Mary. No one survives that."