Matthew Perry's Former Assistant Gets Prison Time in Ketamine Death Case

Kenneth Iwamasa, the 60-year-old former live-in assistant to Matthew Perry, is heading to prison following his guilty plea to drug distribution charges tied to the actor's death.

On Wednesday, May 27, Iwamasa received a sentence of three years and five months in federal prison, along with two years of probation and a $10,000 fine. He pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, making him the fifth person sentenced in connection with Perry's death.

Iwamasa had been accused of purchasing ketamine and administering injections to Perry, including the fatal doses that resulted in his death. He was also the person who discovered Perry in his backyard hot tub.

The case has involved multiple defendants across the medical and drug supply chain. Salvador Plasencia, one of two doctors implicated, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to distributing ketamine. The other physician, Mark Chavez, received three years of supervised release with eight months of home confinement and 300 hours of community service. Jasveen Sangha, known as the "Ketamine Queen," drew a 15-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to supplying the drugs. Erik Fleming, who admitted to delivering the substances, was sentenced to two years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Perry, celebrated for his role as Chandler Bing on the long-running sitcom Friends, died on October 28, 2023, at age 54. While initial reports indicated he had drowned in a jacuzzi, his toxicology report later determined that he died from the "acute effects of ketamine."

Following his passing, one of Perry's co-stars from the series shared that watching reruns of the show together provided them with comfort.