Matthew Perry’s death was ruled a ketamine overdose. Then charges were filed against his assistant

When Friends star Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in his hot tub, it quickly went from an overdose to a storm that uncovered a Ketamine drug cell in Los Angeles. Now, the legal cases are drawing to a close, and the sentences are out. Kenneth Iwamasa, the former live-in assistant to the late Perry, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and fined $10,000 on May 27th for his role in the actor’s fatal ketamine overdose. 

According to PEOPLE, Iwamasa’s sentencing was attended by Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, and her husband, Keith Morrison, after which, Iwamasa made a statement, “I’m so sorry to all of you. You all know how much Matthew loved you. I’m so sorry to have done illegal acts. I will forever regret it and I will take it to my grave and be a cautionary tale and make better choices than I did. I’m horribly, horribly sorry and I offer my condolences to you.”

The investigation into Perry’s death uncovered a web of individuals who facilitated his access to the drug. According to a Department of Justice press release, the investigation revealed that five defendants in total were responsible for the circumstances leading to the overdose. The group included two doctors, a drug dealer, an acquaintance of the actor, and Iwamasa himself. 

Per the prosecution, Iwamasa became Perry’s supplier

Per PEOPLE, prosecutors argued that Iwamasa, who had known Perry since 1992, was fully aware of the actor’s history of addiction. Instead of acting as a support system, the government alleged that he became an enabler who deliberately sought out and administered the substance.

Court documents detailed that Iwamasa purchased 51 vials of ketamine from an acquaintance named Erik Fleming over a span of just 11 days in the month Perry died. Furthermore, prosecutors noted that Iwamasa had witnessed the actor unconscious due to drug use on at least two separate occasions before his death. 

When first responders eventually arrived at the scene, Iwamasa reportedly failed to mention that ketamine was in Perry’s system. This was a detail that highlighted the tragic breach of trust involved in their professional relationship.

In a powerful victim impact statement submitted ahead of the sentencing, Suzanne Morrison reflected on the betrayal of that trust. She noted that her son had believed Iwamasa was a person who understood his struggles. 

“In the past, when the drugs got the better of him, he hid away so that no one would know — which, of course, was the signal to us that it was time to get in there and get help,” she wrote. “Which is why we were relieved when he took on an assistant who — he believed and we believed — understood. He had known Kenny, and so had we, for 25 years. Matthew trusted Kenny. We trusted Kenny.”

“Kenny’s most important job — by far — was to be my son’s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction. His number-one responsibility — ensure that Matthew remained what he wanted to be: drug free,” she said.

The other defendants have faced their own legal repercussions. Erik Fleming, who facilitated the supply of the drugs, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution resulting in death. 

Dr. Mark Chavez received a sentence of three years of probation, eight months of home detention, and 300 hours of community service. Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who was found to have distributed the drug outside of professional medical practice, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

Perhaps the most severe sentence was handed down to Jasveen Sangha, often referred to by federal prosecutors as the “Ketamine Queen.” She received a 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges including maintaining a drug-involved premises and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. 

The Department of Justice noted that Sangha had been aware of the dangers associated with her activities. She was previously been linked to another overdose death in 2019.

The legal process has been long and difficult for Perry’s family, who have been present throughout the various hearings for those involved. For the family, the sentencing of Iwamasa serves as a final, somber chapter in the quest for accountability regarding the events of that October day.