Five arrested in Matthew Perry death

Five individuals, including two doctors, face federal charges related to the ketamine overdose death of actor Matthew Perry, ABC News has learned. The charges, filed Thursday, include conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute.

The indictment alleges that the two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha (known as "The Ketamine Queen"), were primary suppliers of the drug. The indictment reveals that Perry initially obtained ketamine from these doctors but later switched to a new source due to rising costs. The new source allegedly included Sangha, who was linked to the distribution network.

Federal sources say the suspects used encrypted messaging and coded language, referring to ketamine as "Dr. Pepper," to facilitate their transactions. The indictment also references another death, identified only by the initials C.M., tied to the ketamine distribution network.

Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing on the sitcom "Friends," was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. The autopsy determined that acute ketamine toxicity was the primary cause of death. Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety, but the level of ketamine in his system indicated it was not from recent therapeutic use.

The investigation, which involved the DEA, Los Angeles Police Department, and other agencies, revealed that Perry had high levels of ketamine and that his intake method was unknown. The autopsy also noted contributing factors including drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects, with the death ruled accidental.

Following Perry’s death, some co-conspirators allegedly attempted to distance themselves from the case and delete evidence, according to the indictment. The charges will be formally announced later Thursday by the U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles and the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Perry's family expressed their heartbreak over his death but acknowledged their gratitude for the seriousness with which law enforcement has approached the case.

[Source: ABC News]