Los Angeles law enforcement has made multiple arrests amid the drug investigation into Matthew Perry‘s demise. The ‘Friends‘ actor passed away on October 28, 2023. Police found Perry’s body in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home. The news of his demise devastated fans worldwide. His co-stars from the Comedy Central show shared their remorse.
While the first responders ruled out Perry’s death as cardiac arrest, the autopsy reported something else. It was stated that the actor died of a drug overdose. An investigation was initiated by LAPD and Federal authorities to look into the matter. And on Thursday, the authorities told the press that several people were arrested.
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Matthey Perry’s Death Investigation Update
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Times stated that the California police had made five arrests regarding the drug investigation over Matthew Perry’s death. Authorities revealed that many search warrants were produced for the people under investigation for a ketamine dealing network. Meanwhile, many people have been slapped with federal charges.
The five people at the center of the investigation include Perry’s personal live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, two doctors – Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, and two other dealers, one of whom is Jasveen Sangha – a woman called “The Ketamine Queen”, and the other one is Eric Fleming who admitted to supplying Perry with ketamine in court documents.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada confirmed the arrests made are part of a “broad underground criminal network”. They provided Perry with others with ketamine and “took advantage of his addiction issues to enrich themselves.”
Perry fell back into drugs due to the persuasion of the defendants in 2023 itself. Plasencia allegedly supplied 20 viles of ketamine to him for $55,000 cash His text is a gaping shock: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Plasencia allegedly worked with Chavez to obtain the drug and Iwamasa distributed it to Perry. She is also accused of being responsible for selling the final fatal batch to him.
The autopsy report stated that Perry had lethal traces of ketamine in his blood. Causes of death included drowning, and the effects of buprenorphine, in treating opioid abuse.
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Perry Used Ketamine For Depression And Anxiety
Around the bustle of Perry’s demise, it was stated that the actor was struggling with depression and anxiety. Perry was undergoing ketamine therapy. Usually, ketamine is used for anesthetic or pain relief purposes. However, research found that the drug has antidepressant effects. Perry was also on buprenorphine for opioid abuse.
Medical practitioners revealed that the mixture of effects of buprenorphine, ketamine, and Perry’s diabetes might have caused respiratory depression. Perry’s fans paid tribute to the actor online. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer released a joint statement that they were “utterly devastated.”
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