Kenneth Iwamasa, Matthew Perry’s live-in personal assistant, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 months in federal prison after Perry fatally overdosed on ketamine in October 2023. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Mr. Iwamasa was charged with his role in obtaining and repeatedly injecting Mr. Perry with drugs, including the injection that led to Mr. Perry’s death.
Iwamasa, who has known the “Friends” actor since 1992 and became his assistant in 2022, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury. He is the fifth and final defendant to be sentenced in connection with Perry’s death.
The statement said Iwamasa knew of Perry’s history of drug addiction and was not a trained medical professional who could administer the drugs. “Rather than assisting Mr. Perry in maintaining his sobriety, (Iwamasa) became Mr. Perry’s enabler and drug supplier,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing statement.
From September 2023 until Perry’s death, Iwamasa conspired with physician Salvador Plasencia, drug counselor Eric Fleming and others to “knowingly and intentionally distribute ketamine to Perry.”
Although the ketamine provided by Placencia did not cause Perry’s death, Perry distributed 20 vials, multiple pills, and syringes to Iwamasa and the actor, totaling $57,000. Placencia also taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with the drug. (The doctor returned his medical license in September 2025.)
According to court documents, Iwamasa witnessed Plasencia inject Perry with the drug, watched Perry “freeze up,” and his assistant arranged for Fleming to supply him with ketamine, even though the doctor told him not to. Fleming obtained ketamine from Jasvin Sangha, also known as the “Ketamine Queen,” and on October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with “at least three injections of Sangha’s ketamine,” which caused Perry’s death.
On the day of Perry’s death, Iwamasa called 911 at his home and, when questioned by police, intentionally omitted ketamine from the list of drugs Perry had been prescribed, concealing the fact that he had given Perry a ketamine injection. He also “took steps to remove and destroy evidence related to Perry’s ketamine use in the days leading up to the actor’s death” and contacted Fleming by phone to tell him “everything was deleted,” according to court documents.
Mr. Sangha, Mr. Placencia, and Mr. Fleming pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and are serving federal prison sentences of 15 years, 2 1/2 years, and 2 years, respectively.
Iwamasa’s responsibilities as assistant included coordinating the actor’s medical care and ensuring Perry took legally prescribed medications. He was paid $150,000 a year.
Mr. Iwamasa was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who also imposed a $10,000 fine.
