Kenneth Iwamasa gave fatal doses of ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry. For that, a federal judge has sentenced him to 41 months in prison. A Los Angeles court handed down the ruling on Tuesday. It closed the final chapter of a criminal case. The case laid bare what addiction can look like when those closest to someone choose exploitation over care.

Perry died in October 2023. Investigators found him face down in his backyard jacuzzi. He was 54. His autopsy confirmed that acute ketamine toxicity killed him. Prosecutors later revealed his blood contained three times the concentration of ketamine typically used in surgical anaesthesia.

A Trusted Figure Behind a Fatal Ketamine Supply

Iwamasa pleaded guilty in August 2024 to a single count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. He was the last of five co-defendants to face sentencing.

Perry’s business manager and estate executor, Lisa Ferguson, told the court that Iwamasa knowingly exploited a man deep in addiction. She said he maintained a privileged lifestyle inside Perry’s home while actively enabling the drug use that killed him. Ferguson accused Iwamasa of lying repeatedly to Perry’s family after his death. She said he photographed Perry’s remains at his funeral. He demanded three years of his $150,000 annual salary as severance. He also filed a workers’ compensation claim against the estate.

Perry’s stepfather, veteran news presenter Keith Morrison, addressed Iwamasa directly. He told him that he had the family’s contact details and chose not to use them. He put his own position first.

Six to Eight Ketamine Shots a Day Before Perry’s Death

Court documents set out a grim timeline. Iwamasa arranged Perry’s first meeting with Dr Salvador Plasencia on 30 September 2023 and paid the physician $4,500 in cash. Plasencia gave Perry two ketamine injections that day. He also showed Iwamasa how to inject the drug himself and left behind syringes and vials.

Over the weeks that followed, Iwamasa spent at least $55,000 of Perry’s money on ketamine from Plasencia. He later sourced additional supply from dealer Erik Fleming, who obtained the vials from Jasveen Sangha. Sangha, known in press reports as the “Ketamine Queen,” received a 15-year prison sentence last month. Fleming got two years. In text messages with Plasencia, Iwamasa referred to the vials using a code phrase. The supply chain ran openly while Perry’s condition worsened.

Between 24 and 27 October 2023, Iwamasa admitted to giving Perry roughly six to eight ketamine shots each day. On the morning of 28 October, he injected Perry twice. The second injection came at around 12:45 pm. About 40 minutes later, Perry asked Iwamasa to start the jacuzzi. He also asked for what he called “the big one.” Iwamasa delivered the injection and left. Perry was found unresponsive in the water that evening.

Family Describes Betrayal After the Ketamine Death

Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, submitted a written statement to the court. She said Iwamasa’s primary role had always been clear. He was to act as her son’s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction. She described how Iwamasa stayed close to the family in the weeks after Perry’s death. He sent songs, drew her a map of the cemetery, and phoned whenever he spotted a rainbow. Rainbows were among Perry’s favourite things.

Perry’s sister Madeline Morrison pointed out that Iwamasa spoke at Perry’s funeral.

Iwamasa offered an apology that many in the courtroom found inadequate. His defence attorney argued that Perry initiated contact with his suppliers and directed Iwamasa throughout. The judge rejected the argument.

Sentences Across the Fatal Ketamine Case

The 41-month term sits between the outcomes of Iwamasa’s co-defendants. Plasencia received 30 months last December. Dr Mark Chavez helped Plasencia supply the drug. He received the lightest outcome of all five defendants: eight months of home detention and three years of supervised release. Sangha’s 15-year sentence stands at the far end of the scale.

Assistant US Attorney Ian Yanniello addressed the court on behalf of federal prosecutors. He said the sentence reflected the life-ending harm Iwamasa caused. It also recognised the cooperation Iwamasa gave investigators after a search warrant brought them to his home in January 2024.

A Public Life, a Private Struggle With Addiction

Perry never hid his history with addiction. Best known for playing Chandler Bing across all ten seasons of Friends, he spoke with rare candour about his struggles in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. During filming, Perry disclosed he was taking up to 55 Vicodin a day. The opening line of the book reads: “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

Perry sought help throughout his life. He went to rehab multiple times. He talked about it publicly. The people around him at the end knew exactly what he was fighting. The question this case leaves behind is not whether addiction is dangerous. It is what happens when the people positioned to protect someone decide not to.

Source: lawcommentary