A doctor known as ‘Ketamine Queen’ and four others charged in death of Matthew Perry
Federal authorities have filed drug charges against five individuals, including a medical doctor, in connection with the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, authorities said Thursday.
The two lead defendants are Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” and Salvador Plasencia, nicknamed “Dr. P,” according to U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada.
They are facing conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of the drug resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute and altering and falsifying records related to a federal investigation, among other charges, according to an indictment filed in court Thursday.
Estrada said during a news conference Thursday that the defendants “took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction to enrich themselves.”
The group distributed 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $55,000 in cash, Estrada said.
Sources told The Times that several search warrants were served on targets of the investigation and evidence was seized.
Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his swimming pool at his Pacific Palisades home on Oct. 28. Trace amounts of ketamine — which is sometimes used to treat depression — were found in his stomach, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
But the level found in his blood was about the same as would be used during general anesthesia, his autopsy showed.
How did ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry get the ketamine that officials cited as the cause of his death last year?
The Times reported in June that investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Service had linked several people to procurement of the ketamine.
The drug in Perry’s system caused cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression, the medical examiner reported. Other contributing factors in his death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid-use disorder.
The autopsy report noted that Perry had no other drugs in his system and had been 19 months sober at the time of his death. There was no evidence of illicit drugs or paraphernalia at his home.
The Los Angeles Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating how the actor came to have so much of the drug.
The medical examiner also noted that Perry, 54, had diabetes and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. He at one time had a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit.
A coroner’s investigator interviewed a person close to Perry who described him as in “good spirits” and said he had quit smoking two weeks before his death and was weaning himself off ketamine.
Ketamine is a legal medication commonly used as an anesthetic.
In recent years, ketamine prescriptions have increased along with a black market business for those self-medicating or using the drug recreationally.
But it is increasingly offered “off label” at private clinics in an effort to treat depression and other mental health disorders. In 2006, the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that an intravenous dose of ketamine had rapid antidepressant effects.
Experts have said ketamine is generally safe and there are few reported overdoses. However, people are at a higher risk of bad outcomes if they have underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure or breathing problems.
Times staff writer Libor Jany contributed to this report.
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