The criminal convictions relating to Matthew Perry's death
On 28th October 2023, the entertainment industry was left stunned when beloved actor Matthew Perry died at the age of 54. Best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends, Perry’s death shocked fans around the world.
Crime+Investigation looks at how Perry died and the five people who were convicted for their involvement.
Who was Matthew Perry?
Matthew Perry was born on 19th August 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He moved to Los Angeles to live with his father when he was 15, where he became interested in acting. While at school, he took part in improv classes at a comedy theatre. He went on to have minor roles in several shows throughout the 1980s.
In 1993, he read for the role of Chandler Bing in a show called Six of One, which was later renamed Friends. Friends aired in 1994 and became a global hit, turning Perry and his co-stars into international celebrities.
Addiction history
Perry was open and honest about his struggles with addiction. In November 2022, he released a memoir called Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, where he shared his experiences. He had his first drink at 14 and was drinking regularly by the time he was 18.
When Friends was at its peak during the 1990s, Perry was struggling with an opioid and alcohol addiction. The main opioid in question was Vicodin, which had been given to him to manage his pain following a jet ski accident in 1997. By his own account, his use became severe.
Health issues
Perry suffered from various health issues linked to his addictions, such as pancreatitis. He also had to have several stomach surgeries and was put into a coma after suffering from a burst colon.
Philanthropy
Perry fought his addictions, stating in his memoir that he’d had about 15 rehab stints. He also made it his mission to help those in a similar situation. He established a sober living facility for men in his former Malibu beach house, which ran from 2013 to 2015, for which he received a Champion of Recovery Award. Perry’s dedication to helping those with addiction continued after his death with both the Matthew Perry Foundation and the Canadian organisation Matthew Perry House.
The death of Matthew Perry
On 28th October 2023, Perry was found unresponsive in the jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles and was pronounced dead at the scene. In December 2023, his death was confirmed to have been caused by the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine listed as contributing factors. He used the drug legally, though off-label, via his doctor. However, he also started sourcing it illegally when his doctor would not give him the amount he wanted.
Perry’s death is one of several high-profile overdoses linked to the illegal drug supply, as in the cases of celebrities killed by fentanyl.
The five defendants
Five people faced criminal charges for their role in Perry’s death, and all five pleaded guilty. Here are the people convicted and their sentences.
Jasveen Sangha
Also known as the ‘Ketamine Queen’, Sangha was the main supplier of ketamine to Perry and the one who provided the fatal dose. Sangha had been selling drugs like meth and ketamine since 2019 out of her North Hollywood home.
In September 2025, she pleaded guilty to three counts of ketamine distribution, one count of distribution resulting in death and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. She also admitted that her drugs caused the death of another man, 33-year-old Cody McLaury, in 2019. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison on 8th April 2026.
Dr Salvador Plasencia
Plasencia is a Los Angeles doctor who sold ketamine to Perry. He admitted to illegally providing Perry with 20 vials of the drug. He also injected Perry himself. A text message revealed that Plasencia had said to another doctor, ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay?’
He pleaded guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution and gave up his medical licence. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison in December 2025.
Dr Mark Chavez
Chavez was a doctor at a ketamine clinic in San Diego who supplied Plasencia. He admitted to getting his hands on ketamine through a wholesale distributor under false pretences. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and also gave up his medical licence.
In December 2025, he was given a sentence of eight months of home confinement followed by three years of supervised release.
Kenneth Iwamasa
Iwamasa was Perry’s live-in personal assistant at the time of his death, and he would act as a drug messenger for Perry. He also gave Perry injections himself. On the day Perry died, he injected him with at least three shots of ketamine supplied by Sangha.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. He was sentenced to 41 months in prison in 2026.
Erik Fleming
Fleming was an acquaintance of Perry who sourced the ketamine from Sangha. He delivered 50 vials of ketamine from Sangha for Perry’s use.
Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. On 13th May 2026, he was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of probation.
By the time of his death, Perry was living with addiction and going through a relapse. The people who supplied him with ketamine included two doctors and his personal assistant.
Perry is remembered for the joy he brought to people around the world with his acting, and for the work he did to help others with addiction.
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