Arrest made in probe of Matthew Perry's ketamine death

Federal authorities have made an arrest in connection with the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, law enforcement sources told The Times on Thursday.

Few details were available, and officials have scheduled a news conference for later in the morning.

Sources told The Times that several search warrants were served on targets of investigation and evidence was seized. Federal charges have been filed, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, and will be revealed by the U.S. attorney’s office.

Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his swimming pool at his Pacific Palisades home on Oct. 28. Trace amounts of ketamine — which is sometimes used to treat depression — were found in his stomach, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.

But the level found in his blood was about the same as would be used during general anesthesia, his autopsy showed.

The Times reported in June that investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Service had linked several people to procurement of the ketamine.

The drug in Perry’s system caused cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression, the medical examiner reported. Other contributing factors in his death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid-use disorder.

The autopsy report noted that Perry had no other drugs in his system and had been 19 months sober at the time of his death. There was no evidence of illicit drugs or paraphernalia at his home.

The medical examiner also noted that Perry, 54, had diabetes and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. He at one time had a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit.

A coroner’s investigator interviewed a person close to Perry who described him as in “good spirits” and said he had quit smoking two weeks before his death and was weaning himself off ketamine.

Ketamine is a legal medication commonly used as an anesthetic.

But it is increasingly offered “off label” at private clinics in an effort to treat depression and other mental health disorders. In 2006, the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that an intravenous dose of ketamine had rapid antidepressant effects.

Experts have said ketamine is generally safe and there are few reported overdoses. However, people are at a higher risk of bad outcomes if they have underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure or breathing problems.