Latest news with #Plasencia
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
At 17, he started a child abuse prevention org. 30 years later, he's being honored
When Amigos For Kids cofounder Jorge Plasencia attended a reception at Seminole Hard Rock Casino last year, he expected to connect with donors and supporters of the nonprofit, which works in child abuse prevention and provides after-school programming and other services. But one interaction brought his child advocacy work full circle. 'A woman came up to me that was an executive with a bank in her late 30s,' Plasencia told the Miami Herald. 'She said that she was a child of Amigos For Kids and went through the programs. She was impacted and was there to pay it forward.' The woman's story reflects that of the many kids whom Amigos For Kids has helped to maximize their potential. After more than 30 years with the organization, Plasencia, 50, is being honored this year with the Excellence in Advocacy Award from The Children's Trust. The son of altruistic Cuban immigrants, community service was an expectation in Plasencia's household. As an elementary school student at Miami Beach's St. Patrick's Catholic School, he became involved with a community service club. The experience exposed him to local organizations like the Children's Home Society. During a holiday event when he was a teen, Plasencia met a baby that had been burned with an iron. Having grown up in a loving home, Plasencia knew he wanted to help people like that baby have a better life. In 1991, Plasencia, then 17, teamed up with friends that also volunteered at Children's Home Society to start their own organization. They saw the need for a Latin-focused organization and officially launched Amigos Together For Children a year later. The organization was later renamed Amigos for Kids. When Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, their services were needed more than ever. 'We had our work cut out for ourselves,' he said. After volunteering as a phone banker for local nonprofits in high school, Plasencia pursued communications jobs after graduating from Barry University. From stints in radio to work for the Miami Marlins, he has made sure every job he's had was just as invested in Amigos For Kids as they were in him. 'My superiors have always embraced Amigos For Kids,' he said. 'It was never something that I've had to shun. My superiors always have wanted to support me.' Plasencia's next goal is to build a headquarters for Amigos For Kids that would be owned by the organization itself. The building, which would be located in a central Miami community like Allapattah or Little Havana, would help local youth of all backgrounds. 'This facility we want to build could be game-changing,' he said. With an affinity for helping others, like the banking executive who grew up in Amigos For Kids programs, Plasencia knows he is on the right track. 'You reap what you sow,' he said. 'The more you give of yourself and your time, the more that it comes back to you. There's a lot of good people that want to make a difference.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Matthew Perry Peacock Documentary Reveals Alleged Texts From His Ketamine Doctor: 'I Wonder How Much This Moron Will Pay'
The new Matthew Perry documentary now streaming on Peacock, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, takes a closer look at the ongoing criminal investigation into the death of the Friends star, who was found dead in his hot tub in 2023, having drowned after injecting a lethal dose of ketamine. Perry had long been outspoken about his addiction issues, and even published a memoir detailing his drug abuse the year before his death. Now, authorities hope to hold his drug dealers responsible for this death. The accused in the case are still awaiting trail, meaning that all the statements made by various lawyers and law enforcement in the documentary have yet to be proved by a court of law—a fact that gets repeated every time the documentary returns from an ad break. But though everything said is alleged, the indictment—which charges five people in connection with providing Perry the ketamine that led to his death—comes with some pretty damning evidence. The most egregious? Alleged texts between two of Perry's doctors that make it clear they were taking advantage of his addiction for money. Two doctors were charged in connection with providing Perry ketamine: Dr. Mark Chavez, who is said to have written Perry's prescriptions, and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is said to have helped distribute the ketamine to him. In the indictment, law enforcement says they obtained some of the texts between Dr. Chavez and Dr. Plasencia, sent over Signal. At one point, Dr. Plasencia apparently texted Dr. Chavez, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let's find out.' Ketamine treatment for depression and other mental disorders is legal and can be done safely, but only when administered by a medical professional in a monitored, controlled environment. It is still a controlled and addictive substance. Perry was not only receiving unmonitored ketamine doses at home (administered by his long-time live-in assistant, who was also charged in the indictment), he was also being charged exorbitant prices. According to US Attorney Martin Estrada, one of the prosecutors in the case who is interviewed in the documentary, Perry obtained 'approximately 20 vials of Ketamine' that cost him roughly $55,000. On top of that, he also obtained ketamine from another source: the so-called 'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha, and an intermediary named Eric Fleming, both of whom are also charged in the indictment. 'After Mr. Perry died, you had Jasveen Sangha allegedly telling Mr. Fleming, 'Delete all of our messages,'' Estrada said in the doc. 'They knew what they did was wrong.' In other words, officials are hoping to use the spotlight on Perry's death to potentially target a much larger ring of drug dealers in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Salvador Plasencia is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine, and two counts of altering and falsifying documents. He pleaded not guilty. His lawyer claims Dr. Plasencia was trying to help Perry, and that he didn't know Perry was obtaining ketamine from other individuals. Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy was directed by Robert Palumbo, and executive produced from Ian Russell, Mike Griffiths, and Palumbo from ITN Productions. The 60-minute documentary special is now streaming on Peacock.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Matthew Perry was given 27 shots of ketamine in his final days, according to a new documentary. ‘There needs to be accountability,' prosecutor says.
Matthew Perry's overdose death will forever be the one that was a gut punch. A new Peacock documentary, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, looks at the Friends star's rise to fame alongside his lifelong battle with addiction. While his 2022 best-selling memoir, Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing, suggested that the worst was behind him in his dependency on drugs and alcohol, the 54-year-old actor died from a ketamine overdose on Oct. 28, 2023. The hourlong special digs into the final months and days before he drowned in his hot tub, and describes how he used the dissociative anesthetic, which is used off-label to treat depression and also recreationally for its hallucinatory effects. The resulting criminal investigation resulted in five arrests. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. According to the documentary, Perry received 27 shots of ketamine in his final three days, outside his legitimate ketamine therapy for anxiety and depression. Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney who oversaw the case before stepping down in January, said that the five people arrested — including two physicians, an alleged drug dealer and Perry's live-in personal assistant — are 'people who should have known much better.' Two of them — Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who allegedly administered the drug to Perry in a parking lot and called the star a 'moron' in a text, and Jasveen Sangha, the so-called 'Ketamine Queen,' who allegedly provided Perry's fatal dose — pleaded not guilty. They both head to trial on March 4 in Los Angeles. The three others — Dr. Mark Chavez; Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; and an acquaintance, Erik Fleming — pleaded guilty and are cooperating with prosecutors. They await sentencing in April (Chavez and Fleming) and May (Iwamasa). Here's what we learned in the documentary. Plasencia allegedly obtained fraudulent prescriptions for ketamine from Chavez in September and October 2023. Estrada said they were motivated by 'greed,' charging Perry $55,000 for 20 vials of a drug that should have cost $12 a vial. Of the huge markup, Plasencia texted Chavez, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' according to the indictment. 'Dr. Plasencia was very clear in text messages … that he saw this as an opportunity to make a lot of money in a short amount of time,' Estrada said, 'and he allegedly did just that.' Plasencia allegedly administered ketamine to Perry in the back of a car in a Long Beach, Calif., parking lot The large dose caused Perry to freeze up, and his blood pressure spiked. However, Plasencia allegedly continued to give Perry ketamine — and also gave it to Iwamasa, who had no medical training, to inject into Perry. Plasencia is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation into Perry's death. 'Doctors are not supposed to inject people in the back of parking lots,' Estrada said. '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.' Plasencia allegedly could no longer provide the amount of ketamine Iwamasa sought on Perry's behalf and connected him with Fleming. Fleming, a former film director who worked at a rehab facility, served as a go-between for Iwamasa and Sangha. Sangha allegedly sold Perry 50 vials of ketamine, including the fatal dose, in his last two weeks of life, charging $11,000. Sangha — who had ketamine, cocaine, Xanax, methamphetamine pills, drug ledgers and scales in her home when it was raided by authorities — is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. Sangha is accused of selling ketamine to a second victim, Cody McLaury, who died from an overdose in 2019. Perry's case put a spotlight on McLaury's death. 'In the past, we used to call these things overdose deaths and do more blaming of the victim,' Estrada said. 'We don't do that anymore. We blame the drug dealers, the drug sellers, for taking advantage of those addiction issues to cause death or serious injury, and that's why we bring these cases. The big takeaway from this case is that when people involved in reckless activity, whether that be drug dealing or other activity, cause the death of others, there needs to be accountability.' David Feifel, a psychiatrist and the medical director at Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute, said ketamine use should be highly monitored by medical professionals. He said one of the fatal mistakes was that Iwamasa — who administered 27 shots of ketamine to Perry during his final three days — set up Perry's hot tub for him before leaving him alone to run errands. 'What should have happened at that point was, first of all, monitoring his vitals, but more importantly, they should have made sure that he was not near anything that could cause him harm,' Feifel said. 'When you're not in control of your body, you're at risk of doing harm to yourself.' Before his death, Perry shared a photo of himself in his hot tub: Iwamasa worked with Perry for decades. Jennifer O'Neill, a former personal assistant for Lady Gaga who was interviewed for the documentary, talked about how things could have gotten so bad, with Iwamasa injecting his boss with drugs. 'Ken was living with him. He was working with him 24/7. When you have a personal relationship, lines get blurred,' said O'Neill. 'Your boss asks you to do something and you may not feel comfortable doing it, but this is your livelihood on the line,' she said. 'If you say no, they'll just find somebody else who will say yes. I think it's easy for people to judge Ken, saying he never should have done that. I don't know him personally but if I were in his shoes, I would be horrified at the situation.' Perry wrote his 2020 memoir to help other addicts. His TV mom from Friends said he was incredibly 'brave' for sharing his addiction struggles beginning in the early 2000s. 'I was terribly proud of him,' Fairchild said. 'It's hard, especially in this town, to admit you've got any problem, that there's anything wrong, and I thought it was very brave of him… He did seem to really want to help other people that were also struggling.' When he was struggling, 'even in the midst of his own pain, he tried to reach out to other people,' she said. Fairchild added that Perry's legacy 'will be one of hope and joy and friendship and love.' premieres Feb. 25 on Peacock.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House panel OKs the use of ‘granny cams' in long term care facilities
The Historic Capitol, foreground, and Florida Capitol buildings. (Photo/Colin Hackley.) 'Granny cams' may be coming to Florida nursing homes. A House panel on Thursday overwhelmingly voted to approve a bill (HB 223) that would allow long term care facility residents to install electronic recording devices as long as they are willing to foot the bill for installation, removal, and the internet needed to run them. Nursing home residents who share rooms would have to secure permission from their roommates to use the cameras. Consenting roommates are allowed to put restrictions on camera use and require that the camera be pointed away or prohibit use of specific devices. If a roommate doesn't agree, the legislation would require a facility to make accommodations by moving one of the residents to another room. 'If you look at the news lately, you'll see and you'll find whether there's a lot of issues happening that people catch on cameras that they otherwise would would not. And they're horrific scenes happening to people who are elderly, who can't take care of themselves, and who, even if they could say what happened, people wouldn't believe it, because maybe they have dementia or Alzheimer's or something that would cause someone to not believe what they are saying,' bill sponsor Rep. Susan Plasecia, a Republican representing part of Orange and Seminole counties, told members of the House Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee Thursday. 'And so for me, it's important to speak for them and that's what brought me here.' Nineteen states allow camera use in nursing homes, Plasencia said. Florida law, though, is silent on whether electronic recording devices can be used. That means facilities decide whether to allow them. Plasencia said her bill protects the public and puts 'guardrails' into statutes outlining what can and cannot be done. The vote to advance the bill came over objections of Florida's long term care industry. We know that nursing home and assisted living facility cameras help with deterring abuse and neglect and also help with identifying where there can be improvements made to a loved one's care. – AARP Florida Associate State Director of Advocacy Karen Murillo Jen Lawrence, chief nursing officer at Aston Health and a member of the statewide nursing home association, the Florida Health Care Association, said lots of personal things happen in residents' rooms, including bathing and grooming, psychiatric visits, and meetings with clergy. The cameras, she said, will capture it all. Moreover, she expressed concerns that the resident's family or guardian would be responsible for ensuring the roommate's privacy is protected. 'This is a family member of a roommate. How do we trust those folks in controlling what is being videotaped and recorded?' Lawrence asked. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Maryellen Lalor with the group Protect Florida Seniors testified for the bill, sharing the story of her husband who lived in a nursing home for more than 2 1/2 years before dying. She tried to sneak a camera into her husband's room after he was admitted but the facility found it and made her remove it. She said she never complained out of fear of retaliation against her husband, knowing he would reside in the facility until he died. Lalor countered Lawrence's testimony by telling the subcommittee members that nursing home residents in semi-private rooms don't enjoy the privacy that people think they might. 'As far as confidentiality, when you're in a semi-private room and they're going to do personal care to the other person, the curtain is pulled. When you are meeting with a psychologist or therapist, that person goes right in. The other [resident] can hear, okay? So as far as the concern about hearing other people, everything is exposed.' FHCA wasn't the only long term care association to flag concerns. Florida Assisted Living Association CEO Bijou Ikli and Florida Senior Living Association vice president for Public Policy and legal Affairs Jason Hand also expressed concerns. But Karen Murillo, AARP Florida's state director for advocacy, argued the bill would improve safety and keep the family members abreast of the care being provided to their loved ones. 'We know that nursing home and assisted living facility cameras help with deterring abuse and neglect and also help with identifying where there can be improvements made to a loved one's care. AARP is a big advocate of family caregivers, especially those who are far away, and these cameras will provide peace of mind and the ability for family caregivers to be advocates, present, and part of their loved ones' care,' Murillo said. The legislation comes a year after the Tampa Bay Times reported a spike in allegations of serious violations against Florida nursing homes — between 2019 and 2022, nearly double the reports during the previous six years. The Times' reporting showed that in 2022, nursing homes were cited 83 times for putting older adult residents at risk of immediate danger. Several of the committee members asked about privacy, how often the agreements between roommates could be altered, who would enforce the agreements, and whether long term care facility staff could access the images being captured. Rep. Hillary Cassel, a Republican from Fort Lauderdale, worried about how visitors, some of whom could suffer from dementia or have vision problems, would know video cameras were being used in the room. Plasencia committed to continuing to work with members to address their concerns. Reps. Daryl Campbell, a Democrat from Fort Lauderdale, and Gallop Franklin, a Democrat from Tallahassee, voted against the bill. HB 223 has two more committee stops (Judiciary and Health and Human Services) before it can be heard on the floor. A companion bill (SB 64) was filed by Republican Sen. Illeana Garcia. It has been referenced to three Senate committees (Health Policy, Judiciary, and Rules) but has yet to be considered. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
