Matthew Perry Assistant Kenneth Iwamasa Jailed 41 Months Over Actor's Ketamine Death
Kenneth Iwamasa, 60, who served as Matthew Perry's personal assistant, received a 41-month prison sentence for his involvement in the actor's ketamine overdose. Prosecutors detailed how Iwamasa, lacking medical training, collaborated with two doctors to supply Perry with over $50,000 of ketamine in the weeks preceding his death.
Perry was discovered deceased in his Los Angeles hot tub in October 2023. Iwamasa admitted guilt in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, a charge carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years. His sentence also includes two years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine, with a reporting date of 17 July for incarceration.
Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett cited Iwamasa's awareness of Perry's addiction struggles and his subsequent concealment of evidence as factors in the sentencing. In court, Iwamasa addressed Perry's family directly, stating, "I'm so sorry to all of you. I'm just so sorry to have done illegal acts that I will forever regret. I will take it to my grave." He expressed hope of serving as a "cautionary tale" for others in similar positions.
Prosecutors had sought a three-year, five-month prison term for Iwamasa, who was the first of five defendants to accept a plea agreement and the last to be sentenced. Letters from Perry's mother and sisters conveyed strong condemnation of Iwamasa's actions. Caitlin Morrison, Perry's sister, wrote, "I have no sympathy for Kenny Iwamasa," suggesting he either fled responsibility or abandoned a vulnerable individual. Madeline Morrison believed Iwamasa was "more culpable" than other suppliers.
Suzanne Morrison, Perry's mother, asserted that Iwamasa's primary duty was to safeguard her son from addiction, yet he instead facilitated illegal drug use. She wrote, "We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price."
Iwamasa confessed to administering multiple ketamine injections to Perry, including on the day of his death. Medical examiners attributed the actor's overdose to the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning listed as a contributory factor. Judge Garnett underscored Iwamasa's knowledge of Perry's addiction and his continued procurement and injection of ketamine, even after observing its negative effects, and his subsequent efforts to destroy evidence.
Iwamasa's attorney, Alan Eisner, argued that Iwamasa acted under Perry's direction and highlighted an uneven power dynamic. Eisner claimed Iwamasa was "incapable" of refusing Perry's requests for injections, while also acknowledging he should have resisted. "This is not an incident that falls solely on the shoulders of Mr Iwamasa," Eisner stated.
US officials maintain that the defendants exploited Perry's addiction for financial gain, leading to his death. All five defendants entered guilty pleas. Previously, Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the "Ketamine Queen," received a 15-year sentence. Doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, who supplied ketamine to Perry, were sentenced to 30 months and eight months of home detention, respectively. Erik Fleming, who sourced the drug from Sangha, was sentenced to two years in prison.
