The final chapter in the criminal case surrounding Matthew Perry‘s tragic death has closed. Kenneth Iwamasa, the actor’s live-in personal assistant, received a prison sentence for obtaining and injecting the ketamine that killed the “Friends” star.
Iwamasa will serve 41 months (nearly 3.5 years) in federal prison. A judge also ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine and serve two years of supervised release after his prison term. The sentencing happened in a Los Angeles federal court on May 27, 2026.
This marks the end of all criminal proceedings against five people connected to Perry’s death on October 28, 2023.
A Trusted Employee Who Became a Drug Supplier
Iwamasa knew Matthew Perry since 1992. He became the actor’s live-in assistant in 2022 with an annual salary of $150,000. His job duties included helping coordinate Perry’s medical care and ensuring Perry took his legally prescribed medications.
But Iwamasa had no medical training. He also knew about Perry’s long history of drug addiction. Instead of helping the actor stay sober, prosecutors said Iwamasa became his enabler and drug supplier.
In September 2023, Iwamasa started working with others to get ketamine for Perry. He conspired with Dr. Salvador Plasencia (a physician), Erik Fleming (a drug counselor), and Jasveen Sangha (a dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen”).
Injecting the Shots That Killed a Star
On the day Perry died, Iwamasa gave him three ketamine shots within five hours.
The timeline shows:
- 8:30 a.m. – Iwamasa gave Perry a ketamine shot
- 12:45 p.m. – He gave a second shot
- Around 1:25 p.m. – Perry asked Iwamasa to prepare the hot tub and “shoot me up with a big one.” Iwamasa injected a third syringe of ketamine
Perry was found dead in his jacuzzi later that day. The autopsy report ruled his death an accident caused by “the acute effects of ketamine.” Drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of another drug (buprenorphine) also played a role. At the time of death, Perry had 3,540 nanograms per milliliter of ketamine in his system.
Warning Signs Ignored Before the Tragedy
Before Perry’s death, Iwamasa saw multiple warning signs but kept going. Court documents show he found Perry unconscious at the actor’s home on at least two occasions.
On October 12, 2023, just over two weeks before Perry died, Iwamasa watched Dr. Plasencia inject a large dose of ketamine into Perry. The actor “froze up” and could not move or speak. Plasencia reportedly said, “Let’s not do that again.” Despite this, Iwamasa already started arranging a steady supply of ketamine from other sources.
Leading up to Perry’s death, the actor received ketamine injections six to eight times per day.
Trying to Cover Up the Evidence
After Perry died, Iwamasa called 911. But when police questioned him, he lied. He gave a long list of Perry’s prescribed medications but left out ketamine. He also provided a timeline of events that hid the ketamine shots he gave Perry.
Iwamasa then tried to destroy evidence. He told a contact named “BM” to throw away ketamine bottles and syringes. He ordered someone to shred a ketamine prescription document and a handwritten note naming Dr. Plasencia as the drug source. In a phone call with Erik Fleming, Iwamasa said he “cleaned up the scene,” got rid of bottles and syringes, “deleted everything,” and even changed the passwords on Perry’s devices.
“Rather than help Mr. Perry maintain sobriety, [Iwamasa] became his enabler and drug supplier, ultimately causing Mr. Perry’s death.” – Federal prosecutors
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The Assistant’s Defense and Sentencing
Iwamasa’s lawyers argued he was just an employee doing what his boss asked. In court filings, they said Iwamasa had a “particular vulnerability” in his relationship with Perry and “could not ‘simply say no’.” They admitted this “inability had tragic consequences.”
His defense team asked for leniency, saying the power dynamic between employer and employee mattered. But Perry’s mother and sister wrote letters to the court expressing their devastation. They accused Iwamasa of betraying the actor’s trust and enabling the addiction that killed him.
Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced Iwamasa to 41 months. He pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury.
Other Sentences in the Case
Iwamasa is the fifth and final person sentenced in connection with Perry’s death:
- Jasveen Sangha (the “Ketamine Queen”): 15 years in prison
- Dr. Salvador Plasencia: 2.5 years in prison (surrendered his medical license in September 2025)
- Erik Fleming: 2 years in prison plus 3 years probation
- Dr. Mark Chavez: 8 months home detention, 300 hours community service, 3 years probation (surrendered his medical license in November 2024)
The investigation involved the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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