Matthew Perry was found dead in 2023. The "Friends" actor's blood contained a large amount of a narcotic. The investigators' trail leads to doctors and middlemen. Now it's off to court.
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- Actor Matthew Perry was found dead in his hot tub in October 2023.
- During the autopsy of the body, a large amount of an anaesthetic was found in the blood.
- An accused doctor is now facing ten years in prison. The doctor has accepted to plead guilty.
Following the arrest of five people in connection with the death of "Friends" actor Matthew Perry, one of two accused doctors has now appeared in court.
According to US media reports, the 54-year-old doctor from San Diego wants to admit his guilt for procuring the anesthetic ketamine for Perry.
The judge in Los Angeles banned him from continuing to work as a doctor. He was initially released on bail. He faces a prison sentence of up to ten years.
His client is incredibly remorseful, the doctor's lawyer told reporters. He wanted to do the right thing and cooperate with the public prosecutor's office.
Investigators uncovered criminal network
According to the indictment, the San Diego doctor allegedly sold a colleague in Los Angeles a large quantity of ketamine for Matthew Perry using a forged prescription, among other things.
In mid-August, police and prosecutors brought serious charges against five people arrested, including doctors, dealers and one of the actor's assistants.
For months, the manhunt had been focused on the question of how the actor had obtained the anesthetic ketamine, which he had in his blood in unusually high quantities at the time of his death.
The investigations had "uncovered a widely ramified criminal underground network", said public prosecutor Martin Estrada. The defendants had exploited Perry's addiction problems to enrich themselves.
The main defendants are a Los Angeles doctor and a drug supplier known as the "Ketamine Queen" who allegedly provided Perry with large amounts of ketamine on the black market last fall. Both have pleaded not guilty.
One of the actor's assistants has already admitted his guilt for procuring ketamine for Perry and injecting him with the drug without medical knowledge. The 59-year-old assistant faces up to 15 years in prison.
Matthew Perry was found dead in the hot tub
The 54-year-old Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his home in Los Angeles last October. Prior to this, the actor had repeatedly spoken publicly about his battle with addiction to alcohol and drugs, among other things.
According to reports, Perry had been undergoing ketamine therapy under medical supervision for depression and anxiety. He had also obtained the drug on the black market.
Ketamine has been a proven anesthetic for decades. Some partygoers also use it as an illegal club drug. In addition, people with treatment-resistant depression can be treated with ketamine under certain conditions.
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