5 charged in connection to Matthew Perry's death

The defendants made up a "broad underground criminal network" that "took advantage" of Perry's well-known "addiction issues," said attorney Martin Estrada

(Image credit: Gotham / GC Images)

What happened

Five people have been charged in connection with actor Matthew Perry's fatal 2023 ketamine overdose, including his personal assistant, two physicians and a "major source of drug supply known as the Ketamine Queen," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Thursday. Perry, 54, died from "acute effects" of the powerful surgical anesthetic.

Who said what

The defendants made up a "broad underground criminal network" that "took advantage" of Perry's well-known "addiction issues" for personal gain, Estrada said. They knew they were putting the "Friends" star in "great danger," but "they did it anyway." The two doctors who procured the ketamine saw Perry as nothing more than a "payday," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. "Instead of 'do no harm,' they did harm so that they could make more money."

Prosecutors allege Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa administered "at least 27 shots of ketamine in the five days leading up to his death," including three on the day he died, The New York Times said. Perry had reportedly been "undergoing ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety," but the quantities in his body when he died were too high for his legitimate treatments, Variety said.

What next?

If convicted, the defendants face anywhere from a decade to life in prison for their involvement in Perry's death. Iwamasa and two other defendants have agreed to plead guilty.

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Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.