When does the trial start for the five accused in the Matthew Perry case?
After five people were arrested for their involvement in the death of Matthew Perry, a district judge has set trial dates for two of the suspects.
In mid-August, authorities arrested five people involved in the death of actor Matthew Perry, who was found dead on October 28, 2023 at his home in Pacific Palisade, California, after suffering a ketamine overdose.
According to a press release issued by U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada, the five people involved in Perry’s death are: Jasveen Sangha, the “Ketamine Queen” (age 41); Dr. Salvador Plasencia (age 42); drug dealer Eric Fleming (age 54); Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa (age 59); and Dr. Mark Chavez (age 54).
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The role of those involved in the death of Matthew Perry
According to the investigation, in late September, Dr. Plasencia learned that Perry was interested in obtaining ketamine to treat his depression, so he contacted Dr. Chavez, who had run a ketamine clinic in the past, to obtain the substance and sell it to the actor.
Between September and October, Plasencia distributed ketamine to Perry and Iwamasa outside of the medical practice and taught Iwamasa how to inject the substance. During this time, Plasencia and Chavez conspired to sell vials of ketamine to Perry for up to $2,000.
In mid-October, Iwamasa began acquiring ketamine through Fleming and Sangha, the so-called “Ketamine Queen,” who was found to have a drug emporium in her home during the investigation. On October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with a fatal dose of ketamine sold by Fleming and Sangha. Once the actor’s death became public, Sangha asked Fleming to delete her messages.
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When does the trial of those involved in the death of Mathew Perry begin?
A couple of weeks after the arrest, an official trial date has been set for the “Ketamine Queen” and Dr. Plasencia, who were primarily responsible for supplying the actor with the drugs that caused his overdose. U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett has set a joint trial for March 4, 2025.
If convicted, both could spend decades behind bars. Sangha would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison; while Plasencia would face up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for each falsifying records charge.
The other three people who were charged- Fleming, Iwamasa, and Chavez- have already reached a plea agreement.