'Friends' actor Matthew Perry Found dead What happened in the hot tub at my Los Angeles home last year was thought to be just an accident.
He had been treating his depression with ketamine infusion therapy, and no drug paraphernalia or anything suggesting criminal activity was found, so it appears he drowned. Although he had struggled with addiction for decades, the actor said he had finally quit drinking.
As the world mourned the death of the actor known worldwide for his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” the medical examiner made a suspicious discovery: high levels of ketamine were found in his blood, the same amount used for general anesthesia during surgery.
The substance should not still be in his system since his last treatment a week ago.
A nearly year-long investigation has uncovered a massive underground ketamine trafficking network, an attempted cover-up and another death.
Five people were arrested in the case, including the doctor, Perry's assistant and a dealer known locally as the “Ketamine Queen.”
Federal and local authorities held a news conference Thursday to go over details of the investigation.
Five suspects are charged with a total of 23 counts in Perry's death. His live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, pleaded guilty to one count, and two others, Eric Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs.
Most of the charges were handed down to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is charged with falsifying records along with allegedly supplying ketamine to Perry, and Jasvin Sanga, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” who is facing nine charges including one count of conspiracy to supply the drug.
Authorities say the investigation is not over yet, so more information could come to light in the coming weeks and months.
