Longtime personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa is among 5 charged and arrested in the death of actor Matthew Perry, reports the New York Times.
Iwamasa is accused of working with two doctors and a drug dealer to get thousands of dollars of ketamine for Perry. A recent autopsy revealed the Friend’s star died of a ketamine overdose.
Dr. Mark Chavez along with an acquaintance of Perry, Erik Fleming, face charges of conspiracy to distribute ketamine while the woman dubbed by prosecutors as the Ketamine Queen, Jasveen Sangha, along with Dr P, Salvador Plasencia, face multiple charges including distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and altering and falsifying records related to a federal investigation.
“The defendants in this case knew what they were doing was wrong,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada during a Thursday news conference. “It is a drug that must be administered by medical professionals, and the patient must be monitored closely. That did not occur here,” USA Today reported Estrada as saying.
Perry, who has struggled with addiction for years, was found dead in his hot tub on October 28. His death has been investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The coroner ruled the death an accident from the “acute effects of ketamine.”
Iwamasa is described as Perry’s “live-in” assistant.
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I’m glad Perry’s case was reopened! Thanks to his step-dad for pushing it!!! To all of the people who cracked the case…great job.