They called him “Chandler” and “idiot.” How Matthew Perry was exploited

The month before Mathew Perry's death, a doctor the actor had contacted about ketamine called him an “idiot” in a text message, federal prosecutors said.

A dealer who authorities said supplied Perry with the drug called him “Chandler” – the sarcastic yet good-natured character he played in the hit television series “Friends,” court documents say.

Federal authorities have described in court documents and public statements a plot in which doctors and street dealers exploited Perry for their own benefit. Perry had spoken openly about his years-long struggle with addiction.

Five people – two doctors, an alleged drug dealer nicknamed the “Ketamine Queen,” a former film director and Perry's live-in assistant – were charged with conspiring to distribute the anesthetic ketamine to the actor.

Prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the defendants, but experts familiar with addiction treatment say the picture of drug use described in the court records follows an all-too-common pattern: An addict is desperate for a fix, and those supplying the drug are happy to keep the business going.

“People can become victims of drugs because they have a strong craving for the substance and nothing else can satisfy them,” says Jessica Borelli, a professor of psychology at UC Irvine.

Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28. Authorities later determined that he had died of acute effects of ketamine.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said during a press conference this month that the defendants in this case were “more concerned with profiting from Mr. Perry than with his well-being.”

“Drug dealers who sell dangerous substances gamble with other people’s lives out of greed,” he said.

According to federal prosecutors, Perry began ketamine therapy at a local clinic where he was being treated for depression and anxiety. Ketamine therapy for depression is a relatively new therapy, but some medical professionals who spoke to the Times say it shows promising results when administered correctly.

While the most commonly used antidepressants affect serotonin, dopamine and other neurochemicals in the brain, ketamine acts on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) system and may be helpful for treatment-resistant depression. Still, the powerful drug carries risks and the potential for addiction, said Dr. Robert McCarron, professor of psychiatry and associate dean for medical education at UC Irvine.

“Ketamine can harm or kill someone if not carefully monitored and used in an approved therapeutic manner,” McCarron said, adding that Perry likely did not know that taking additional amounts of ketamine outside of therapy could be fatal.

“He didn't go to medical school. He probably thought it would be good for him and relieve his depression, so maybe more would be better,” McCarron said.

The American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists & Practitioners expressed doubts as to whether Perry was even a suitable candidate for ketamine treatment.

“In order to safely continue ketamine infusions despite his history of substance abuse, his treatment plan would have needed to be implemented by someone with extensive knowledge and experience with ketamine as part of a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program,” the organization said in a statement.

According to federal authorities, Perry became addicted to the powerful drug, and when clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, the actor turned to Salvador Plasencia, an internist nicknamed “Dr. P.”

Federal prosecutors allege that Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, worked with two doctors – Mark Chavez and Plasencia – and drug dealers Jasveen Sangha and Erik Fleming to obtain thousands of dollars worth of ketamine for Perry in the month before his death.

Sangha and Plasencia have both pleaded not guilty. Their attorneys could not be reached for comment. Iwamasa pleaded guilty this month to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. Fleming pleaded guilty this month to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, according to court records.

In text messages to Chavez, who had experience with ketamine, Plasencia debated how much she should charge Perry for the drug. In one text message, he wrote, “I wonder how much this idiot is going to pay” and “Let's find out,” according to an indictment filed in court.

Plasencia also wrote in his messages to Chavez that he did not want Perry to “look elsewhere” to obtain ketamine. According to the indictment, Plasencia wrote that he wanted to be “his point of contact.”

In total, doctors distributed 20 vials of ketamine to Perry, valued at $55,000 in cash, and charged him $2,000 for a vial that cost Chavez $12, authorities said.

“Matthew Perry's journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their positions of trust because they saw him as a payday and ended with street dealers who sold him ketamine in unmarked vials,” Anne Milgram, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said during a press conference this month. “The desperation that led Perry to these individuals was not met with help, as it should have been by the doctors, but with exploitation.”

From mid-October, Perry and his assistant were in contact with Fleming, an acquaintance of the actor. Fleming knew a source who could supply him with the drugs at a lower price.

Fleming texted Perry that he had “a lot of K in liquid form” that he would sell at a “good price” and with a “fair tip” for delivery, according to an agreement Fleming made with the prosecution.

“I wouldn't do it if I didn't have the chance to make money from it,” Fleming told Iwamasa, according to the indictment.

According to the indictment, Fleming delivered a sample valued at $180 to Perry's home on October 13. Iwamasa told Fleming the drug “seemed good” and asked for more.

When Sangha communicated with Fleming about the sale, she referred to Perry “under the name of a well-known personality who [Perry] in a television series,” Fleming's plea agreement states. Law enforcement sources told the Times she called him “Chandler.”

The next day, Fleming came to Perry's home with 25 vials, demanded $5,500 and pocketed another $500 for brokering the deal, prosecutors said. While Sangha had quoted Fleming $160 per vial of ketamine, Fleming demanded $220 per vial from Perry, authorities said.

Ten days later, Fleming delivered another 25 vials to the actor's home along with ketamine lollipops, which prosecutors said Sangha gave as a bonus for the bulk order, the indictment says.

In the final days of Perry's life, there were signs that the actor's addiction was spiraling out of control, according to court documents. Iwamasa injected the actor with ketamine six to eight times a day, authorities said. The assistant found Perry unconscious in his home at least twice in October, according to the indictment.

According to prosecutors, Fleming and Sangha sold the actor about 50 vials of the drug worth about $11,000 in less than a month.

According to experts, it is not uncommon for drug addicts to spend exorbitant amounts of money to gain access to the drug.

When someone abuses a substance, the way they process rewards changes. “What is rewarding for most people is no longer rewarding for people with a substance use disorder,” says Borelli.

This could lead to people ignoring the consequences when searching for the substance, experts say.

“Addiction is like an iron compulsion,” said Dr. Michael McDaniel, medical director of Heartland House in San Diego. “For the person suffering from a substance use disorder, there is virtually nothing they can do to avoid using. With something like ketamine, whose supplies are pretty tightly controlled and limited, the suffering person would be at the mercy of whoever is providing them.”