Five Charged in Matthew Perry's Death

In a recent development, five people have been charged in the drug-related death of Matthew Perry, which occured last year, including two doctors and the actor's personal assistant.

The Police made tgis shocking revelation today, stating that their investigation, launched in May, uncovered a "broad underground criminal network" of drug suppliers who distributed large quantities of ketamine.

54-year old Perry died at his Los Angeles home in October. A post-mortem examination found a high concentration of ketamine in his blood and determined the "acute effects" of the controlled substance had killed him.

According to the justice department, three of the defendants, including Perry's assistant, have already pleaded guilty to drug charges, while two others - a doctor and a woman known as "The Ketamine Queen" - were arrested on today.

Perry's close allies, told a coroner's investigation after his death that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, his last session however took place more than a week before his death. 

The medical examiner said the ketamine in Perry's system could not have been from the infusion therapy because of the drug's short half-life.

The levels of ketamine in his body were as high as the amount given during general anaesthesia, according to the medical examiner.

Ketamine is a powerful anaesthetic used as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. 

An indictment filed in federal court detailed the elaborate drug purchasing scheme that prosecutors say ultimately led to Perry's death.

Prosecutors said Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, worked with two doctors to provide the actor with over $50,000 (£38,000) of ketamine in the weeks before his death.

Officials argued those involved in the scheme tried to profit from Perry's well-known substance abuse issues. One of the doctors, Salvador Plasencia, is alleged to have written in a text message: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."

According to the indictment, Mr. Plasencia, 42, provided Perry with ketamine "outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose." He also allegedly instructed Iwamasa on how to inject Perry with ketamine without proper safety protocols and monitoring, as stated in the police indictment.

Prosecutors claimed that in the four days leading up to Perry's death, Iwamasa administered at least 27 ketamine injections. This occurred even after a previous large dose earlier in the month caused Perry to "freeze up," prompting Mr. Plasencia to warn against using a similar amount in the future. Despite this, the doctor still left several vials of the drug with Perry and his assistant after the incident, according to the indictment.

Others charged in the case include Jasveen Sangha, known as the "Ketamine Queen," who allegedly supplied the drug to Plasencia with the assistance of two other co-defendants, Erik Flemming and Dr. Mark Chavez.

Chavez, Flemming and Iwamasa have all pleaded guilty.

Ms Sangha allegedly texted another suspect, telling him to "delete all our messages". Mr Plasencia also falsified medical records, according to the indictment.

Drowning was also listed as a contributing factor in Perry's death, which was ruled an accident. Other contributing factors were coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.

See also: WHO Declares MonkeyPox a Global Public Health Emergency