Kenneth Iwamasa, the personal assistant who injected Matthew Perry with ketamine multiple times without medical training, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison on Wednesday. The 61-year-old had pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury, matching the sentence requested by prosecutors.
Iwamasa's sentencing concludes the criminal investigation into the five individuals authorities say were involved in Perry's overdose death in 2023. The longest sentences were given to Jasveen Sangha, known as the 'Ketamine queen', who supplied the fatal dose and received 15 years, and Erik Fleming, a drug addiction counselor who acted as a middleman, expected to serve two years. Former doctor Salvador Plasencia, who continued supplying ketamine after Perry had an adverse reaction, was sentenced to 30 months, while another doctor, Mark Chavez, received no prison time.
From 2022 to 2023, Iwamasa worked as Perry's live-in assistant. Perry, who had publicly struggled with opioid addiction, sought his help in procuring ketamine after turning to outside sources to increase his dosage beyond what was prescribed at a California clinic. Prosecutors said Iwamasa paid Plasencia at least $55,000 for ketamine between September and October 2023.
In the three days before Perry's death, Iwamasa injected him with six to eight shots of ketamine per day, according to court documents. Authorities noted that Iwamasa had found Perry unresponsive at least twice in the month prior. Perry's family condemned Iwamasa's actions in letters to the judge, with his mother stating that Iwamasa could have called for help if he felt pressured.
