Prosecutors Say Matthew Perry’s Doctors Abused Actor’s Addiction For Profit: ‘I Wonder How Much This Moron Will Pay’

The new Peacock special, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, reveals new details about the beloved Friends star Matthew Perry’s harrowing death.

Perry, who struggled with addiction throughout his life, died on Oct. 28, 2023, after he was found unresponsive in his hot tub. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Though there were initially no signs of foul play, his autopsy revealed the cause of his death to be “acute effects of ketamine.”

Perry’s supposed sober status at the time of his death prompted a criminal investigation into uncovering the source of the drugs. Five people were charged in connection to Perry’s death in August 2024, including his drug suppliers and the assistants who provided support and delivery.

Former U.S. attorney for the Central District of California E. Martin Estrada, whose office opened the case, said, “One of the overall themes of our indictment is that all these defendants would have known better…They were taking advantage of an individual, and letting their greed drive them to endanger Mr. Perry’s life.”

Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, admitted that he had continually injected Perry with ketamine, despite having no medical training. Two doctors, Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia, were charged with distributing the ketamine to Perry, along with the local drug dealer Javeen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood. An acquaintance of Perry’s, Erik Fleming, was also charged for providing the back-and-forth transportation of the drugs. The indictment cites a text from Chavez to Plasencia, reading, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” and “[Let’s] find out.”

Estrada shared in the special that all five defendants have been charged, and “three of them have pled guilty and will be cooperating.”

Last August, Iwamasa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death, while Fleming pleaded guilty the following day to both conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine leading to death. In October, Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute Ketamine.

Plasencia and Sangha face more extreme charges: Sangha has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution, and Plasencia has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and seven counts of distribution. Both Sangha and Plasencia’s lawyers have denied any evidence of their clients’ affiliation with Perry.

Estrada concluded, “The big takeaway from this case is that when people are involved in reckless activity, whether that be drug dealing or other activity causing the death of others there needs to be accountability.”