Two months after Matthew Perry died at age 54 in October 2023, his death was ruled an accident. But that ruling proved to be removed from the tip of the story.
A December 2023 toxicology report concluded that Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine.” The report noted that Perry had been receiving regular ketamine infusions to treat depression and anxiety, but his last infusion had taken place greater than every week before his death. The discrepancy left room for questions on how and why Perry had ketamine in his system when he died.
In May 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that that they had opened an investigation into Perry’s death. Three months later, five individuals — Dr. Salvador Plasencia, Jasveen Sangha, Kenneth Iwamasa, Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez — were hit with various federal charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
Keep scrolling for an entire timeline of the investigation of Perry’s death, including the punishments for some who played a job within the actor’s passing:
September 30, 2023
In response to court documents obtained by Us Weekly in August 2024, “after learning” that Perry “was serious about obtaining ketamine,” Plasencia allegedly contacted Chavez about purchasing the drug “in order that he could sell the ketamine” to the actor. The docs also alleged that Plasencia texted Chavez, “I ponder how much this moron can pay” for the substance.
After Chavez sold Plasencia, a licensed physician, “a minimum of 4 vials of liquid ketamine, ketamine lozenges,” syringes and gloves, the docs alleged that Plasencia left the drug with Perry’s former personal assistant Iwamasa and taught him find out how to inject ketamine so he could administer it to Perry.
October 2, 2023
Iwamasa sent Plasencia a text message requesting to buy additional vials of ketamine.
That very same day, Plasencia texted Chavez asking for more ketamine to sell to Perry.
October 8-10, 2023
Plasencia sold quite a few vials of ketamine to Iwamasa, and met with each him and Perry at several locations, including Long Beach, California, where Plasencia allegedly injected Perry with the substance while they were in a automobile.
The docs also stated that on October 10, Iwamasa contacted Fleming to buy more vials of ketamine. Fleming then texted Sangha, a.k.a. “The Ketamine Queen,” to acquire the drugs.
October 14, 2023
After delivering samples of ketamine to Iwamasa and Perry at his residence the day prior, Fleming allegedly drove to Perry’s home to acquire the funds for the drugs. Fleming then drove to Sangha’s “stash house” and purchased 25 vials. He then drove back to Perry’s house and delivered the drugs, in response to the docs.
October 23, 2023
Iwamasa texted Fleming asking to buy more ketamine, allegedly asking via text, “Can we do the identical as last time over the subsequent two days?”
Fleming then traveled to Perry’s home to select up money from Iwamasa.
October 24, 2023
Fleming allegedly bought one other 25 vials of ketamine from Sangha, then drove back to Perry’s home to drop off the drugs.
October 25-27, 2023
Court docs alleged that Iwamasa administered Perry “a minimum of” six injections of ketamine on October 25, October 26 and October 27.
October 28, 2023
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. He was pronounced dead later that day.
In documents obtained by Us, it was alleged that Iwamasa injected Perry with “multiple doses of ketamine he received” from Fleming and Sangha, “leading to the death and serious bodily injury” of the late actor. The docs also alleged that Plasencia provided the syringes.
That very same day, Sangha instructed Fleming to “distance themselves from selling ketamine” to Perry, including deleting digital evidence on their cell phones.
October 30, 2023
Fleming allegedly texted Sangha asking how long ketamine stays in someone’s system since a “three month tox screening” can be performed on Perry.
December 2023
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office released a toxicology report concluding that Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine.” The actor’s death was ruled an accident, with drowning, coronary artery disease and the consequences of buprenorphine (which is used to treat opioid use) listed as contributing aspects.
May 2024
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that that they had opened an investigation into Perry’s death, focusing specifically on how Perry obtained the ketamine present in his system when he died.
August 15, 2024
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California shared a press release announcing that Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a licensed physician, and Jasveen Sangha, a.k.a. “The Ketamine Queen,” an alleged drug dealer, were arrested on August 15 in reference to Perry’s death. Each Plasencia and Sangha were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
Sangha was also charged with one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine; while Plasencia was also charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.
The press release also named three other individuals who had been individually charged in connection to Perry’s death: Iwamasa, his acquaintance Fleming, and Dr. Chavez, one other physician.
Fleming pleaded guilty on August 8 to at least one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine leading to death. In response to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Fleming admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty on August 7 to at least one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, and admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including on the day he died. Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to at least one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in an announcement: “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, together with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death, send a transparent message that we’ll hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.”
August 30, 2024
Chavez, one among the doctors arrested in reference to the death of Perry, appeared in a Los Angeles court on Friday, August 30, after reaching a deal to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors, in response to the Associated Press. (Though he agreed to plead guilty, he didn’t enter his plea during his court appearance, and can accomplish that at a date to be determined at a later time.)
“He’s incredibly remorseful,” Chavez’s lawyer, Matthew Binninger said while the doctor, who agreed to show over his medical license, stood by his side. “He’s attempting to do every part in his power to right the incorrect that happened here. He didn’t accept responsibility today but only since it wasn’t on the calendar. He’s doing every part in his power to cooperate and help with this example.”
June 16, 2025
Plasencia made a plea cope with the Department of Justice, and faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, Deadline reported.
“On the earliest opportunity requested by the USAO and provided by the Court, appear and plead guilty to Counts Six, Eight, Nine, and Ten of the primary superseding indictment in United States v. Salvador Plasencia, which each charge defendant with distribution of ketamine,” the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Central District of California stated in a plea agreement.
As a part of the agreement, the DOJ intends to “recommend a two-level reduction within the applicable Sentencing Guidelines offense level” to the judge. This suggestion could possibly reduce Plasencia’s sentence by several years.
Meanwhile, Chavez and Iwamasa, who previously submitted guilty pleas, are on account of be sentenced in fall 2025.
July 23, 2025
One month after Plasencia took the plea deal, he pleaded guilty to 4 counts of distribution of ketamine.
“Dr. Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry,” Plasencia attorney, Karen Goldstein, said in an announcement to ABC News. “He’s fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution.”
Plasencia will remain out on bond until his sentencing on December 3, 2025. He’s facing as much as 40 years behind bars. Along with the conviction, Plasencia will hand over his medical license. In response to his lawyer, Plasencia recognized his “failure to guard” Perry.
“While Dr. Plasencia was not treating Mr. Perry on the time of his death, he hopes his case serves as a warning to other medical professionals and results in stricter oversight and clear protocols for the rapidly growing at-home ketamine industry in an effort to prevent future tragedies like this one,” the statement continued.
September 3, 2025
Sangha pleaded guilty to 5 federal charges in connection to Perry’s death, in response to the Associated Press. She was charged with three counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of distribution of ketamine leading to death and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. Her sentencing is scheduled for December 10.
December 3, 2025
Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months, nearly two and half years, in prison, per the Los Angeles Times. The doctor may also serve two years of supervised release following his time behind bars.
April 8, 2026
A federal judge sentenced Jasveen Sangha, higher referred to as “Ketamine Queen,” to fifteen years in prison after she pleaded guilty to selling Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023.
“These weren’t mistakes,” Sangha told the judge, per the Associated Press. “They were horrible decisions [which] shattered people’s lives and the lives of their family and friends.”
Before Sangha’s sentencing, Matthew’s stepmother, Debbie Perry, filed a victim impact letter with the court.
“The pain you’ve caused to a whole bunch, perhaps hundreds, is irreversible,” she wrote in a statement obtained by Us Weekly. “There isn’t a joy to be found, no light within the window. They won’t be back. That thought comes through our day on a regular basis.”
Matthew’s stepfather, Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison, also told the judge that he and Matthew’s mother, Suzanne Perry, feel a “each day, grinding sadness and sorrow.”
“There was a spark to that man I actually have never seen anywhere else,” Morrison said, per the AP. “He must have had one other act. Two more acts.”
May 13, 2026
Fleming was sentenced to 2 years in prison, in response to multiple outlets.