Officials in Los Angeles have made five arrests in connection with the accidental overdose death of actor Matthew Perry.
Perry died last October when he overdosed on ketamine, which is an anesthetic drug with psychedelic properties.
Los Angeles officials said in a press conference Thursday that an investigation into the actor's death uncovered a “broad, underground criminal network” responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Perry and others.
Among those criminally charged were two doctors, Perry's live-in assistant, various "go-betweens" and a major source of the drug supply known as "the ketamine queen," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
Estrada said they will have "considerable sentences" and be used as an example that "you cannot get away with this."
Anne Milgram, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said it all started when Perry was prescribed ketamine at a local clinic where he sought treatment for depression and anxiety.
In the U.S., most forms of ketamine are only approved by the Food and Drug Administration for anesthesia, or as a nasal spray to treat depression, which is only to be administered in a medical setting.
But once doctors at that clinic refused to up Perry's dosage, he looked elsewhere. That's when he met the two doctors ultimately charged in connection with his death.
“He turned to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make quick money,” said Milgram.
She said they supplied Perry with “large amounts of ketamine in exchange for large amounts of money.” He was charged about $2,000 for a vial that cost about $12.
With his addiction growing, Perry turned to street dealers to get the drug more quickly and at a cheaper price. The ketamine supply he got there would ultimately kill him.
Milgram said it is a common theme where drug addiction begins at a doctor's office and ends with street drugs.
"Each of the defendants played a key role in his death. They falsely prescribed, sold or injected the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry's tragic death," Milgram said.
Perry, who starred in the NBC hit sitcom “Friends,” along with other TV shows and movies, was 54 years old when he was found dead last October in a hot tub at his home in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles police had said in May they were investigating where Perry obtained the drugs.
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