Matthew Perry's 'Entourage' Branded 'Leeches' Who Manipulated The Actor To His Untimely Death

A probe into Matthew Perry's death has revealed that those close to him took advantage of his ketamine addiction to make money off him.

According to reports, the late actor paid exorbitant amounts on different occasions to be supplied with the substance.

The "Friends" star was initially prescribed ketamine to deal with his depression but ultimately got addicted to it and started using more than the recommended dosage.

Several individuals have now been arrested in connection to Matthew Perry's death, including his personal assistant.

Following the recent arrests of some of Perry's associates in connection with his death, it is now alleged that the late actor's inner circle exploited his ketamine addiction to milk him for money.

According to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, Perry paid "the ultimate price" for allowing people into his life who were only interested in exploiting his celebrity status and wealth.

"They have these entourages that are many times like leeches," Rahmani explained while speaking with Fox New Digital. "They have a ton of money, and there are people that just take advantage of them and make money off them and milk them."

"Here's someone with a clear and well-documented opioid addiction. He's on meds to try to deal with that addiction, and he's very public about it. And, you know, there are people who are charging him thousands and thousands of dollars for ketamine and taking advantage of that addiction. It's really sad."

Earlier this week, authorities announced the arrest of five individuals linked to Perry's overdose death in October last year, per Fox News Digital.

The individuals were Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, who are doctors; Jasveen Sangha, a distributor; and Eric Fleming, a broker. Kenneth Iwamasa, who was Perry's personal assistant prior to his death, was also arrested.

Per court documents, Iwamasa allegedly conspired with the others to "illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to" Perry for exorbitant amounts on a regular basis.

It was reported that the late actor once paid around $50,000 in cash for 20 vials of the substance and another $11,000 for 50 vials on a separate occasion.

Once the drugs were in the custody of Perry, Iwamasa administered them to Perry despite not having any medical training.

The same individual also gave Perry multiple injections containing the ketamine on the day the "Friends" star passed on.

During the investigation into Perry's death, the authorities uncovered damning text messages that implicated the arrested individuals.

All of them have since been charged, with several already pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

According to Rahmani, the work of the prosecutors has been cut short due to the evidence already uncovered and admissions from some of the arrested individuals.

"It's a really strong case," she said. "The text messages are so damning, and multiple defendants have already pleaded guilty about this based on the writing on the wall. The dealers have no defense whatsoever.

The president of West Coast Trial Lawyers added, "They don't have a DEA license or any reason to have ketamine or methamphetamine, so they're done."

Rahmani shared that Sangha is likely to get a very harsh sentence due to the major role she played in the supply of ketamine to Matthew Perry.

"Jasveen Sangha was the source of the ketamine that killed Perry, and she could easily receive a potential life sentence over his death," the lawyer said in a statement shared with The Blast. "There will be a lot of pressure on lower-level defendants and witnesses to flip on the doctor who provided the Ketamine or anyone else who played a role in getting it to Perry unlawfully."

He continued, "Ketamine is a drug that should be administered via an IV under a doctor's supervision, it's not a drug that should be sent home with a patient. It's a Schedule III controlled substance. Some doctors believe ketamine infusions can treat anxiety and depression, but it's one of the most abused party drugs. Perry should not have been using ketamine in a hot tub outside of a therapeutic setting."

"This is a very high-profile case and this is going to send a message to doctors as well as dealers who are profiting from distributing ketamine," Rahmani added.

Matthew Perry's autopsy revealed that he developed an addiction to ketamine despite initially using it for therapeutic reasons.

The actor's last known recommended ketamine use was a week before his death. It was also mentioned that the amount found at the time of his death could not have come from the treatment since ketamine's half-life is typically under four hours.

The precise method he employed to continue his substance use beyond the recommended therapeutic dosage for treating depression remains unclear.

He was found unresponsive in his hot tub on October 28, which initially led to the assumption that he died from drowning.

However, the drowning was only a secondary factor, as the level of ketamine in his body is presumed to have been what made him lose consciousness.

The autopsy also revealed that Perry's coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine were other conditions that contributed to his death.