Five arrests completed Matthew Perry’s overdose death This week we expose how Hollywood’s drug trade is active, thriving and as dangerous as ever.
Two of the people charged in the “Friends” star’s death are doctors, while the other, Jasveen Sangha, is charged in the indictment. “Queen of Ketamine”they only catered to “high end” people and “celebrities.”
According to the Justice Department’s indictment, Sangha used his North Hollywood, California, home to “store, package and distribute narcotics, including ketamine and methamphetamine,” and it also accuses Sangha of supplying the drugs that killed Perry.
Legal sources believe Sangha, who was arrested Thursday and is expected to also be charged in a 2019 drug-related death case, could hold the key to uncovering who is buying and selling drugs in Hollywood, especially if he accepts a plea deal and turns his back on his clients and suppliers.
The 41-year-old woman pleaded not guilty to numerous charges in Los Angeles court and was ordered detained.
“The evidence against her is overwhelming. She’s in a very difficult position now. She could face life in prison,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahamani told Page Six.
“There are two issues with her,” he added. “One is, she’s now been linked to two drug-related deaths, and the other is, she was (allegedly) dealing methamphetamine.”
This means that although Sangha is at serious risk of going to prison, “there is every reason to cooperate to reduce his sentence,” Lahamani said.
“She may name people who are connected to her, who have supplied to her or who she has supplied to,” he added. “Hollywood celebrities should be horrified… Anyone who has any connection to Jasveen Sangha should be really worried right now.”
Cooperating with authorities in the investigation is Charlie Sheen’s ex-wife, Brooke Mueller, who has been in and out of rehab facilities over the years and where she met Sangha and Perry. According to TMZ:Mueller has not been accused of any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime.
Perry, who was found dead in October at age 54 from a ketamine overdose in the hot tub of his home, had live-in aides, including former friend and sobriety coach Morgan Moses, who helped him get sober.
However, reports said he was using “hook-ups” to get illegal drugs delivered to his home.
“He was meeting girls on dating apps and bringing them home – a lot of them aged 21 to 25, who he met on Raya. They were bringing drugs,” a source told the Daily Mail in January.
“When he hangs out with them, he asks, ‘Can you bring me something?’ He convinces people they’re not doing anything wrong.”
Perry also had his closest aide, Kenny Iwamasa, who was also indicted this week, collect and administer drugs to him.
A Justice Department statement released this week after he pleaded guilty revealed that Iwamasa fired his gun three times on the day Perry died, including the fatal shot that left him unconscious in the hot tub.
Hollywood insiders have spoken out about how powerful and famous people also hire prostitutes to transport drugs for them.
One such celebrity was Grammy-nominated rapper Mac Miller, who died of a drug overdose at his Studio City home in September 2018 at age 26.
Infamous former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss said, “Mac Miller was in the studio and he wanted drugs so he called somebody but nobody showed up. Then he was told a girl could bring him drugs but it would cost $1,500 an hour. He didn’t even want a hooker, but she brought drugs. So he brought a hooker too.”
She said of Ariana Grande’s ex, “It’s like when you order a steak and it comes with fries. You’re going to eat the side dishes, but what you really wanted was the steak… It’s a little bit like how I operate, but in my version, girls come before drugs.”
Bob Forrest, a Los Angeles addiction specialist who appeared on “Celebrity Rehab” with Drew Pinsky, told Page Six that there was a secret drug ring that was used by stars like Tom Petty, who died in an accidental overdose of a mixture of drugs in January 2013 at the age of 66.
His family alleged that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin, caused the overdose.
“Now it’s just a text message,” Forrest says. “Tom Petty had his pills delivered to his mailbox. He didn’t even have to meet anybody. He sent a text message, sent money on Venmo, and the pills were delivered to his mailbox.”
Celebrities often encounter other addicts at clubs and parties, he said.
“They’re doing drugs, you’re doing drugs, and they say, ‘Hey, let me introduce you to the guy I got drugs from,’ and from there it’s a never-ending trail of connections,” Forrest added.
A close friend who has worked with Perry for many years added, “It’s a matter of Dr. Feelgood giving celebrities whatever they want, as was the case with Anna Nicole Smith.”
Dr. Kristin Eroshevich was convicted in 2010 on two counts of conspiring to obtain prescriptions under a false name for a former Playboy model who died of an accidental overdose in 2007 at age 39. The conviction was later thrown out by a judge, but Reinstated as a misdemeanor in 2015 After the prosecution appealed
The conviction was overturned by a judge but reinstated on appeal by the prosecution.
One former drug dealer to the stars said: “There are a lot of doctors in Los Angeles who will do anything, including lie, for famous people, and I think Matthew Perry was a master at identifying them.”
“You pay with cash and just go to the pharmacy and get whatever medication you want, whether it’s methadone, Valium, Xanax, etc. This is something only the wealthy can afford.”
Perry was receiving ketamine transfusions legally from a Los Angeles-area doctor, but as his drug cravings grew, he began procuring the drug illegally.
Prosecutors have alleged that Iwamasa contacted one of Perry’s acquaintances, Eric Fleming, who then contacted Sangha, who federal agents say conducted the transactions from his home for about five years.
According to the indictment, on Oct. 11, Sangha texted Fleming on the encrypted messaging app Signal about his stock of ketamine and invited Perry to try it, calling it “great.”
Fleming then allegedly sent screenshots of Sangha’s messages to Iwamasa.
“Just got this from my rep. She only deals with high-end items and celebrities,” he wrote. “If it’s not fabulous, she will lose the business.”
Prosecutors allege that Iwamasa purchased 25 bottles of ketamine from Fleming & Sangha on Oct. 14. Just a week later, on Oct. 23, Iwamasa paid $6,000 for additional ketamine.
According to the indictment, Sangha described his ketamine supplier as a “master chef” and a “scientist” and said he would be delivering more ketamine on October 24.
“The user is always [Sangha] Paul Samson, co-developer of ketamine and a recovered drug addict, DNA4 AddictionA representative for an organization that tests for a genetic predisposition to opioid addiction told Page Six:
“From what I saw on the news, the amount of liquid ketamine she had was [for a dealer] It’s hard to get. Addicts love it. It’s pharmaceutical grade, so you have to get it prescribed by a doctor. It’s highly regarded by users.”
Prosecutors said Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine at least six times a day in the week leading up to her death on Oct. 28.
According to the indictment, after reading a news report about Perry’s death, Sangha texted Fleming to “delete all our messages.”
In addition to Sangha, Fleming and Iwasama, two licensed physicians, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez, were also indicted for allegedly supplying Perry with ketamine separately from Sangha’s plot.
Chavez pleaded guilty and Plascencia pleaded not guilty and is currently free on $100,000 bail. According to NBC:.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada alleged that they all exploited the actor’s drug addiction and tried to “cover up” their roles after his death.
A close friend of Perry’s told Page Six: “I think Matthew really wanted to stay sober.
“Those who were close to Matthew know that ketamine was the cause of his death and we are extremely relieved that those responsible will be held to account.
“We can’t bring him back to life, but at least we have some tools.”
