Entertainment
Matthew Perry’s assistant ‘cleared evidence from scene’ of his death after ‘injecting fatal ketamine dose’-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro
Five people were arrested in connection with the Friends star’s death.
Five people were charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death (Picture: Getty)
Matthew Perry’s assistant ‘cleared evidence from the scene’ in the wake of his tragic death, it has been claimed.
The Friends actor died on October 28 at the age of 54, and an autopsy later revealed that he had been killed by ‘acute effects of ketamine’.
Following an investigation, five people were charged in connection – including his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and three doctors – and their identities were made public last week.
Heartbreaking details surrounding the Chandler Bing star’s final day have since been uncovered, including his final words to his staff.
Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death, has admitted to ‘repeatedly injecting’ the TV icon with the drug ‘without medical training’, and ‘performing multiple injections’ on the day he died.
According to court documents obtained by People Magazine, the 59-year-old is facing 15 years in prison after allegedly cleaned up the scene of Perry’s death, including evidence of syringes and ketamine vials.
Kenneth Iwamasa pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death (Picture: LinkedIn)
He is said to have also confirmed the move to Erik Fleming – who admitted to distributing the ketamine that killed the 17 again star, as well as obtaining it from Dr Jasveen Sangha and distributing 50 vials to Iwamasa.
Fleming also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, and could face up to 25 years behind bars.
Iwamasa, who was not medically trained, revealed in plea agreement papers that he injected Perry with three doses in his final hours
The documents reportedly show that he administered the first dose at 8:30am, before supplying a second dose four hours later.
He then gave him another injection 40 minutes later, before which Perry asked him to ‘shoot me up with a big one’.
Matthew died in October at the age of 54 (Picture: FilmMagic)
Iwamasa allegedly started up the hot tub at Perry’s Pacific Palisades property in LA on his request, and left to run errands, before returning to find his body.
Dr Mark Chavez is among the five arrested in connection with his death, and agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine – in his plea agreement, the physician admitted to selling ketamine to Dr Salvador Plasencia.
Plasencia was charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine, two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records connected to the investigation, and one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
He has been accused of teaching Iwamasa how to inject the vials and using him to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Perry over a two-month period from September to October 2023 ‘in exchange for $55,000’.
Matthew shot to superstardom in Friends (Picture: NBC)
Plasencia pleaded not guilty during a court appearance, and could spend up to 10 years in prison for each ketamine-related count, and up to 20 years for each records falsification count.
Sangha, dubbed the ketamine queen, faces 10 years to life imprisonment after pleading not guilty to several charges – including five counts of distribute of ketamine, one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
She was also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute possession.
Speaking after the charges were revealed last week, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement: ‘Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials.
The actor was most known for his role as Chandler Bing (Picture: NBC)
‘We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s tragic death.’
United States Attorney Martin Estrada added: ‘These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr Perry than caring for his well-being.
‘Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed.
‘This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug-dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.’
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