"Ketamine queen" and doctor involved in Matthew Perry's death get trial date
Los Angeles, California - A doctor and a woman dubbed "the ketamine queen" will face a joint trial in March 2025 over the tragic death of Friends star Matthew Perry, a judge has ruled.
The two are among five people who are accused of having taken advantage of Perry after he fell back into addiction last fall.
Perry had been seeking treatment for depression and anxiety when he became addicted to intravenous ketamine.
He died from the "acute effects of ketamine" on October 28 at the age of 54.
Salvador Plasencia, a doctor from Santa Monica, allegedly used Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa to distribute ketamine to the actor from September to October last year for $55,000.
He is set to face a trial on March 4 next year, District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett ruled in court documents seen by the PA news agency.
Plasencia will stand trial alongside Jasveen Sangha – an alleged drug dealer named by authorities as "the ketamine queen" – who is said to have sold ketamine to Perry for $11,000 in cash.
The ketamine supplied by Sangha was ultimately the dose that took Perry’s life, a Drug Enforcement Administration official previously claimed.
Plasencia is facing a maximum sentence of 120 years in federal prison, while Sangha is facing life imprisonment.
Doctor allegedly wondered how much "moron" Perry would pay
During a previous court appearance, Plasencia and Sangha denied all charges.
According to the initial indictment, Plasencia allegedly conspired with fellow doctor Mark Chavez to supply Perry with large amounts of ketamine, writing in a message: "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "let's find out."
Last week, Chavez appeared in court after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, with his change of plea court hearing date yet to be confirmed.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty on August 7 to conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death – admitting to "repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training."
His sentencing has been set for November 6.
During the last few weeks of his life, Perry allegedly "turned to street dealer" Erik Fleming, who is accused of having sourced ketamine from Sangha.
Fleming pleaded guilty on August 8 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death, with sentencing scheduled on October 30.
Plasencia is currently on release after posting a $100,000 bond, while a judge denied bond for Sangha.
Cover photo: Collage: malibucanyonhealth.com & REUTERS