Matthew Perry's Assistant Sentenced to 41 Months as Final Defendant in Ketamine Death Case

The final chapter in the criminal case surrounding the death of actor Matthew Perry concluded with the sentencing of his former personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The 60-year-old was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, two years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine for conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He is the last of five defendants to be sentenced in a case that exposed a dark network of drug supply to the 'Friends' star.

The fatal final days

Iwamasa, who had no medical training, admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine multiple times in the weeks leading up to his death. According to prosecutors, he administered at least 27 injections in the actor's final days, including three on the day he died, October 28, 2023. On that day, Perry reportedly told Iwamasa to inject him "with a big one" before the assistant left the house to run errands. Upon returning, Iwamasa found the 54-year-old actor dead, face down in the hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. An autopsy concluded Perry died from the "acute effects of ketamine," with drowning and other health factors contributing.

I am truly sorry for you all. I am so sorry for committing illegal acts that I will regret forever. I will take it to my grave.

A network of supply

Iwamasa was not the only person held accountable. The investigation uncovered a supply chain that included two doctors, a dealer, and a middleman. Dr. Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. He had met Perry and Iwamasa in September 2023 and texted a colleague, "I wonder how much this moron will pay," before selling vials of the drug and instructing Iwamasa on how to inject them. Dr. Mark Chavez received an eight-month home detention sentence for supplying the ketamine. Erik Fleming, a middleman, was sentenced to two years. The harshest sentence was reserved for Jasveen Sangha, known as the "Ketamine Queen," who received 15 years in prison.

A family's anguish in court

During the sentencing hearing, Perry's family and associates confronted Iwamasa directly. The actor's stepfather, Keith Morrison, told the court that Iwamasa chose to continue living "like a king" in Perry's home rather than warn the family about his worsening addiction. "You kept injecting him more and more. You could have called, but you had a pretty comfortable life," Morrison said. Perry's business manager, Lisa Ferguson, was even more direct, calling Iwamasa "the monster that killed Matthew."

A cover-up attempt

Prosecutors stated that after discovering Perry's body, Iwamasa attempted to cover up his involvement. He deleted data from computers, changed passwords, and removed communications and other evidence related to the ketamine before authorities could investigate. This attempt to obstruct justice was noted by the judge as an aggravating factor during sentencing. Iwamasa must report to prison by July 17.

Perry's long struggle

Matthew Perry had been open about his decades-long battle with addiction, which he detailed in his 2022 memoir, 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.' While he had been receiving legal ketamine infusions under medical supervision to treat depression and anxiety, the investigation revealed he also sought the drug illegally on the black market. The case has highlighted the dangers of the unregulated use of a substance that is increasingly prescribed off-label for mental health conditions.