LOS ANGELES — A licensed physician and an alleged San Fernando Valley drug dealer were arrested Aug. 15 in connection with the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, who was found dead in October in a hot tub behind his Pacific Palisades home.

A total of five defendants face federal charges, including a live-in assistant, two doctors and a woman known as the “Ketamine Queen.” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the defendants are part of a “broad underground criminal network” that supplied ketamine to Perry and others, and “took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves.”

The five defendants charged in connection with Perry’s death are:

• Jasveen Sangha, 41, a.k.a. “The Ketamine Queen,” of North Hollywood;

• Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42, a.k.a. “Dr. P,” of Santa Monica;

• Eric Fleming, 54, of Hawthorne, who pleaded guilty last week to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, admitting that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, prosecutors said;

• Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, of Toluca Lake, Perry’s live-in assistant, who allegedly conspired with Sangha, Fleming and Plasencia to illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to Perry; and

• Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, a physician who has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting to selling the drug to Plasencia, including ketamine that he had diverted from his former ketamine clinic.

Sangha and Plasencia are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Sangha also is 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.

The updated indictment alleges that Sangha’s distribution of ketamine caused Perry’s death. Plasencia is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.
Sangha and Plasencia were expected to be arraigned Aug. 15 at U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

“These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being,” Estrada said. “Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed.”

Local and federal authorities confirmed in May that they were investigating how Perry obtained the prescription drug ketamine, which contributed to his Oct. 28 death at age 54.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was “the acute effects of ketamine.”

“Contributing factors in Mr. Perry’s death include drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, used to treat opioid use disorder. The manner of death is accident,” the medical examiner’s office said in a statement.

Ketamine is approved by the DEA for use as an anesthetic. A nasal spray version is used to treat depression in a clinical setting, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said.