Matthew Perry doc releases on Peacock: What to know about the criminal case, investigation
Matthew Perry doc releases on Peacock: What to know about the criminal case, investigation
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Doctor charged in Matthew Perry's death pleads guilty
Mark Chavez, a doctor charged with conspiring to distribute ketamine to Matthew Perry before the actor's death in 2023, has agreed to a plea deal.
Peacock on Tuesday released a special centered on Matthew Perry's life with addiction and the aftermath of his death due to "the acute effects of ketamine."
"Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy," out Tuesday, "explores the case as two of the defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, await trial." Using excerpts from his 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," interviews with Morgan Fairchild — who played Perry's on-screen mom on "Friends" — U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada, retired LAPD detective Greg Kading and allegations in the criminal indictment against two people charged in the actor's death, the doc delves into the years leading up to Perry being discovered dead in his jacuzzi on Oct. 28, 2023.
Emphasizing that defendants Jasveen Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plasencia have not yet been tried in court, the doc details the claims against the two, as well as three others who have pleaded guilty to criminal charges following an investigation into Perry's death. It also describes Perry's journey to his apparent ketamine dependency and leans on a doctor to explain how the dissociative anesthetic is legally administered.
In an interview for the doc, LAPD detective Greg Kading says, "Once a responsible doctor realizes a person is abusing drugs, he'll no longer prescribe it. So they'll have to find another, more friendly, doctor until they find someone with no consideration of concern about responsibilities."
Later, he adds: "If Mr. Perry had not been who he was, this may not have gotten the attention it needed to expose those people (charged)."
Here's what has happened so far in the criminal case that looks to pin down culprits responsible for the "Friends" star's death and what's coming next for Sangha and Plasencia, who are scheduled to go to trial later this year. (Both have secured $100,000 bonds for pretrial release, according to court documents).
Who has pleaded guilty in Matthew Perry's death?
Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's live-in assistant, purchased at least $55,000 worth of ketamine for the actor, prosecutors said. He agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and will be sentenced May 14, per court records reviewed by USA TODAY.
Dr. Mark Chavez in October pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute the dissociative anesthetic drug ketamine. He is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 17, according to court records.
U.S. attorneys had accused the San Diego-based Chavez, who used to operate a ketamine clinic, of illegally obtaining ketamine that was sold to Perry by presenting false information and writing a prescription without an unnamed patient's consent, according to Chavez's plea agreement.
Film producer Erik Fleming, who said he'd distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He is slated to appear in court for sentencing on April 23, according to court documents.
Who are the 2 people going to trial for Matthew Perry's death?
U.S. officials allege Jasveen Sangha sold Fleming the ketamine that led to Perry's death. Sangha, who is referred to as the "the Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood in U.S. attorneys' court filings, faces nine criminal charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death and maintaining a drug-involved premises.
Sangha, who has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and Dr. Salvador Plasencia are accused of "distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actor's life." Plasencia faces 10 total criminal counts and has pleaded not guilty.
U.S. attorneys claim Chavez transferred 22 vials of ketamine and nine ketamine lozenges, which were fraudulently obtained, to Plasencia for sale to Perry. Text messages in the indictment revealed Plasencia allegedly said to Chavez: "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "Lets find out," the indictment states.
According to Chavez's plea agreement, upon seeing the news of Perry's death, Chavez called Plasencia to inquire whether he thought the actor might have died from the ketamine they distributed with Plasencia allegedly replying that he was not concerned due to not seeing Perry for several weeks.
Attorneys for Plasencia and Sangha have maintained their clients' innocence.
"My client never met Matthew Perry, had nothing to do with Matthew Perry, and all the supposed rumors otherwise are just that: urban legend. This theory that this so-called fatal dose is linked to my client is absolute garbage," Mark Geragos, one of Sangha's defense attorneys, said in an interview that was included in the Peacock special.
"Dr. Plasencia was trying to help Mr. Perry and provide medical care that would ease his problems," the doctor's lawyer said in a clip. "And Dr. Plasencia was not aware that Mr. Perry was obtaining the ketamine from other individuals, initially, and when it became apparent that there might be something else going on, he wasn't providing any ketamine to Mr. Perry at that point."
Both defendants' trial, which had been pushed from October to March, is now scheduled to start Aug. 19. Before that date, a pretrial hearing is planned for Aug. 6.
Matthew Perry's last days: Actor given fatal ketamine dose by assistant, court docs say
What allegedly happened in the weeks before Matthew Perry's death?
The indictment listing the charges against Plasencia and Sangha details investigators' claims against the two defendants and their alleged involvement in Perry's death.
On Oct. 10, 2023, assistant Iwamasa contacted Fleming to obtain ketamine, and he conspired with Sangha to acquire and sell the anesthetic to Perry, attorneys say.
On Oct. 24, 2023, "despite less than a week earlier telling a patient at his clinic that (Perry) was too far gone and spiraling in his addiction," Plasencia ordered 10 vials of ketamine from a wholesaler to sell to Perry, according to a grand jury indictment against Plasencia and Sangha. That same day, Fleming also delivered 25 ketamine vials purchased from Sangha to Iwamasa at Perry's house.
In the ensuing days, Iwamasa allegedly injected Perry with six shots of ketamine daily. On Oct. 28, 2023, he injected "at least three shots of the ketamine" obtained from Fleming and Sangha, "which resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of" Perry, the indictment alleges.
If your or someone you know is struggling with substance or alcohol use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
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