Estrada stated that the investigation revealed these individuals exploited Perry’s addiction issues for financial gain.
Over a two-month period in the fall of 2023, the group allegedly distributed around 20 vials of ketamine, initially worth $12 each, to Perry at a rate exceeding $2000 per vial.
“They knew their actions were wrong and risky to Mr. Perry, but they proceeded anyway. Their primary concern was profit, not his well-being,” Estrada said.
Documents claim that Iwamasa collaborated with Dr. Salvador Plascencia and Dr. Mark Chavez, along with drug dealer Eric Fleming, to procure thousands of dollars worth of ketamine for Perry, who had long struggled with substance abuse.
Text messages, including coded terms like “Dr. Pepper” for ketamine, were found, with one message allegedly from Plasencia saying, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” in reference to Perry.
Iwamasa, 59, faces charges including conspiracy to distribute ketamine and has confessed to “repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training,” including multiple injections on October 28, 2023, the day of Perry’s death. Dr. Chavez and Fleming also face charges of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
Sangha and Plasencia are charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and falsifying records related to the federal investigation.
Perry was found deceased in his Los Angeles home’s jacuzzi on October 28, 2024, with the cause of death later confirmed as acute ketamine effects.
An autopsy revealed that the level of ketamine in his system could not have come from prescribed infusion therapy, due to the drug’s short half-life.
His family, including his stepfather Keith Morrison, expressed heartbreak over Perry’s death but took solace in the thorough investigation, saying they look forward to justice being served.
Known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004, Perry faced severe addiction issues off-screen. His memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, detailed his struggles, including a near-fatal incident at age 49 due to opioid overuse, which required extensive medical intervention.
