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It’s been 16 months since the death of Matthew Perry.
And as his fans and loved ones continue to mourn his loss, investigators continue to probe the late star’s final days in an effort to determine if he died as a result of criminal wrongdoing.
Perry overdosed on ketamine at the age of 54. He had been using the drug as part of his treatment to overcome the substance abuse issues that had plagued him for decades.
Ketamine therapy is effective for some addicts, but that obviously was not the case with Perry, who allegedly began using the drug compulsively.
Matthew Perry seemed to become addicted to ketamine ahead of his death
The risks of using a substance to treat drug addiction are obvious, of course, and sadly, Perry soon found himself repeating familiar patterns.
Now, a new Peacock documentary is shedding light on the Friends star’s final days — and the possibility that he was a victim of medical abuse and negligence.
Among the most shocking revelations is the news that Perry received 27 ketamine injections in the days before his death.
The drug was primarily administered by medical professionals. Three people with ties to Perry — Dr. Mark Chavez; Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; and an acquaintance, Erik Fleming — have already pleaded guilty and are now cooperating with prosecutors.
Physician Dr. Salvador Plasencia, and Jasveen Sangha, the self-proclaimed “Ketamine Queen” of Los Angeles who allegedly administered Perry’s fatal dose are currently awaiting trial.
Doctors allegedly cashed in on Perry’s addiction
Plasencia stands accused of obtaining fraudulent prescriptions for ketamine from Chavez.
Prosecutors say Plasencia was charging Perry $55,000 for 20 vials of a drug that should have cost just $12 a vial.
According to the indictment, Plasencia texted Chavez, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” according to referring to Perry.
“Doctors are not supposed to inject people in the back of parking lots,” US attorney Martin Estrada wrote in a court filing.
“A trained doctor like Dr. Plasencia knew much better. One of the overall themes of our indictment is that all these defendants should know better, they were taking advantage of an individual and letting their greed drive them to endanger Mr. Perry’s life,” he added.
Sangha is also accused of selling ketamine to a second victim, Cody McLaury, who died from an overdose in 2019,
If convicted Sangha could face life in prison. Plasencia would face “up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each records falsification count,” according to the indictment.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy is currently streaming on Netflix.
Matthew Perry Received 27 Shots of Ketamine In the Days Before His Death: Report was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.