Matthew Perry's ketamine supplier sentenced to two years in prison in drug distribution case tied to actor’s death
A man who acted as a middleman in supplying ketamine to actor Matthew Perry has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a drug distribution case linked to the actor’s death.
Erik Fleming, a licensed drug addiction counselor and acquaintance of Perry, pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. In addition to his prison term, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment.
Court documents state that Fleming had known Perry for years and, after learning the actor was seeking ketamine, obtained 51 vials from a drug dealer and sold them at a profit to Perry’s assistant. Prosecutors said the ketamine supplied through Fleming was later used by the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who injected Perry multiple times in the days leading up to his death on Oct. 28, 2023. Perry was 54.
In a statement submitted to the court, Fleming apologized to Perry’s family and said he accepted full responsibility for his actions. During sentencing, he described the case as a “nightmare” and said he felt “profoundly ashamed.”
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on the television sitcom “Friends,” had long struggled with addiction and had become increasingly reliant on ketamine in the period before his death. A medical examiner later attributed his death to the “acute effects” of ketamine, while also citing other contributing factors.
Although sentencing guidelines recommended a prison term of nearly four years, prosecutors supported a reduced sentence, noting Fleming’s cooperation and his assistance in identifying the source of the ketamine supply.
Fleming is the fourth of five people charged in connection with Perry’s death to be sentenced. Others include a supplier who received a 15-year prison term and two doctors who received prison sentences or supervised release terms. The assistant involved in administering the injections is scheduled to be sentenced later.
Fleming’s attorneys had requested a shorter sentence that included treatment, citing personal struggles and a relapse following a family death that left him in financial and emotional distress before he became involved in obtaining the drugs.
Comments
Post a Comment