Matthew Perry investigation: Drug counselor sentenced to 2 years in prison

Another chapter has closed in the investigation surrounding Matthew Perry’s tragic death.

Erik Fleming, the licensed drug counselor who helped supply the Friends star with ketamine, has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the actor’s fatal overdose in October 2023.

Fleming was sentenced Wednesday, May 13, to 24 months behind bars, along with three years of supervised release and a $200 fine.

The counselor had previously pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. During his court appearance, The New York Times reported that Fleming admitted he was “profoundly ashamed” of his actions.

“I'm still in disbelief,” he said. “It's truly a nightmare I can't wake up from.”

Fleming, who first met the 17 Again actor in 2005, reportedly delivered 51 vials of ketamine to the actor’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, after obtaining the drug from North Hollywood dealer Jasveen Sangha, widely referred to as the “Ketamine Queen.”

Perry was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles hot tub on October 28, 2023. An autopsy later determined his cause of death to be the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine listed as contributing factors.

Fleming was one of five people charged in connection to the case. Sangha was sentenced to 15 years in prison in April, while doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia also received sentences tied to their involvement.

Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.