Two doctors arrested and charged in connection to Matthew Perry’s death allegedly texted each other to discuss scamming the late “Friends” star into paying more for ketamine.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia, an urgent care physician in Calabasas, Calif., texted Dr. Mark Chavez about purchasing ketamine so he could sell the drug to “victim M.P.,”
who a law enforcement official confirmed was Perry, according to the New York Times.
Prosecutors claim Plasencia discussed with Chavez how much to charge Perry for the drug, writing, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets [sic] find out.”
Chavez, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and admitted to selling ketamine to Plasencia, 42.
Chavez also obtained ketamine by making false representations to a wholesale distributor
and by submitting a fraudulent prescription in the name of a former patient, officials said in a press conference Thursday.
The group distributed 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $55,000 in cash, said US Attorney Martin Estrada.
“These defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring about his wellbeing,” Estrada added.
Authorities also arrested Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha and acquaintance Erik Fleming.
Chavez, Iwamasa and Fleming already have pleaded guilty in the federal case, the NYT reported.
Fleming pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Per NYT, Fleming admitted he obtained ketamine from Sangha and distributed 50 vials to Iwamasa in the days leading up to Perry’s passing.
Iwamasa also admitted to injecting the “17 Again” star with ketamine on the day he died.
Perry passed away on Oct. 28 at age 54 after taking ketamine that caused him to lose consciousness in his hot tub, where he was discovered “floating face down.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said in an autopsy report released in December that Perry’s cause of death was the “acute effects of ketamine.” The medical examiner noted that the level of ketamine in Perry’s system was equal to the amount used for general anesthesia.
Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy, which is used to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental health issues, at the time of his death; however, his last treatment took place more than a week before he died, indicating to authorities the ketamine he ingested hadn’t been medically supervised.
The medical examiner also shared that drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat drug addiction and pain, contributed to his death.
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Source: USA Today
