A drug addiction counselor with a license who provided Matthew Perry, famous for his role in “Friends,” with ketamine doses that led to his death has been sentenced to a two-year prison term by Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in a federal court located in Los Angeles.
Erik Fleming, aged 56, expressed his deep regret to the judge before receiving his sentence, mentioning that he is tormented by the errors he made. Dressed in a black suit, Fleming delivered his statement with a solemn tone at the podium.
Fleming is the fourth defendant among the five who have admitted guilt in the legal proceedings related to Perry’s death in 2023. He facilitated the connection between Perry and Jasveen Sangha, a convicted drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen,” who was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Having promptly disclosed Sangha’s information to investigators upon contact, Fleming was the first defendant to plead guilty in August 2024, admitting to distributing ketamine resulting in death. He could have faced a four-year prison term if not for his cooperation with authorities as per federal sentencing guidelines.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors acknowledged Fleming’s cooperation but highlighted his role as a drug counselor who knowingly sold illegal drugs to a victim struggling with drug addiction. Despite Perry not being a regular client, this fact was considered against Fleming.
While defense attorneys requested a three-month prison sentence and nine months in a residential drug treatment facility, Fleming expressed profound remorse for the distress he caused to Perry’s loved ones and friends.
Perry had been undergoing ketamine treatments for depression, which is increasingly being used off-label. Prior to his passing, Perry sought additional ketamine through a friend who introduced him to Fleming. The former film and TV producer turned counselor had relapsed after a personal tragedy in 2023.
Fleming obtained ketamine from Sangha, raised the price for profit, and delivered it to Perry’s residence, where the actor’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, purchased it. The deliveries included 25 vials for $6,000 US just days before Perry’s demise.
Tragically, Perry passed away at the age of 54 from the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning listed as a secondary cause in the medical examiner’s report. Kenneth Iwamasa, the actor’s assistant, is scheduled to be the final defendant sentenced in the case in two weeks.
Perry, renowned for his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” a popular sitcom from 1994 to 2004, will have his belongings, including memorabilia from the show, auctioned to support the foundation established in his name posthumously.