Criminal charges in Matthew Perry's death expected 'any day' as investigation nears conclusion: Source

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Matthew Perry's death investigation is nearing its conclusion, and charges are expected to be filed any day soon. 

Veteran entertainment attorney Tre Lovell recently shared with The US Sun that he believes arrests related to the 'Friends' actor's death are imminent and that multiple people might be named.

Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. An autopsy revealed the 53-year-old died from the acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning.

The report further revealed that he had a similar level of the drug in his body as a hospital patient under a general anesthetic.

He was seemingly receiving ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression in the months before his death. While his last therapy session was a week and a half before his death (with ketamine metabolizing in the body within hours of consumption), it was ruled that ketamine did not cause the tragedy.

In December, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) started an investigation to find who supplied the actor with the drugs, which, Lovell says, is inching toward a conclusion. The attorney hints that anyone found liable for providing the drugs that facilitated Perry’s death will suffer repercussions. 

Attorney explains how law enforcement could impose criminal liability in Matthew Perry's death 

During an interview with The US Sun, Tre Lovell stated that charges will be brought against the ones who have done the wrong despite Matthew Perry’s death being ruled as accidental.

The attorney said, "Charges will be coming any day now," before explaining, "This investigation has been going on for a long time, and the leaks are starting to come out, which are probably intentional."

"[Anonymous law enforcement sources] are not going to leak stuff unless they intend on indicting, otherwise they'll get egg on their face," shared Lovell. 

The attorney further noted that the people who might find themselves at odds with the law include doctors who have provided Perry with under-the-table prescriptions, drug dealers who have supplied the drug illegally, and friends and family who might have aided in the transactions.

Lovell further mentioned, "There are several ways to impose criminal liability, either through the distribution of a controlled substance, an unlawful act that rose to criminal negligence or recklessness, and even in some cases involuntary manslaughter and mail fraud."

"There cases are tough [...] when somebody overdoses, that's an act of their own volition, so to impose criminal culpability there's a very high standard. They have to get warrants, they have to get subpoenas, they have to get private information from his physician, and this takes a lot of time," added the lawyer. 

He also suggested that the authorities take this case as a showpiece to inform the other wrongdoers of the repercussions, sharing, "The reason for this is because there's a big policy now to attack this kind of drug distribution, with fentanyl at the top of the chain, and these other controlled substances that are floating around, like ketamine."

"The government - both at federal and state level - has a mandate to go after drug dealing like this where there are overdoses, so they're going after the suppliers – and part of the reason for that strategy is deterrence," noted Lovell.

"They want to deter future acts, and the best way to prevent someone from distributing drugs is deterring them from getting involved in the first place. Where there's a high-profile victim, and the press is monitoring it, it's the government's opportunity to show there are severe consequences for supplying people drugs," remarked the attorney. 

"Not only can you be liable for distributing a drug, you can also be liable for homicide,” warned Lovell, before concluding, "And they'll want to make that clear in this investigation."

Brooke Muller has been publicly linked with the investigation of Matthew Perry's death

Matthey Perry's friend Brooke Mueller is the only person linked to the investigation so far. The pair met while both were in rehab.

In May, police raided the actress’ sober living house in LA and her iPhone and a laptop were confiscated. She is, however, reportedly cooperating with the authorities in their investigation.

A source previously told InTouch Weekly, "She’s hired lawyers and has had multiple meetings with law enforcement since they arrived at her sober living house with a search warrant."

They added, "She’s being tight-lipped about the situation. But the investigators must have known something to get a warrant and turn up like that." 

The insider further stated, "It’s tough to say or know exactly what her role is [in Perry's death], but she’s adamant she had nothing to do with that."

Lovell, however, said, "To seize a phone and search a house, you have to get a warrant, and to get a warrant you have to have probable cause. To have probable cause, you have to convince a judge there's likely a crime going on, and if they've been able to get all of that, there's a strong chance that person is a person of interest."

"We don't know for sure, but if they've gone to those lengths and they have enough evidence to get probable cause for a warrant, then that person is likely suspected of something serious," noted the attorney.