One of the men tied to the fatal overdose of Matthew Perry is headed to prison after admitting his role in supplying the drugs that killed the beloved “Friends” actor.
According to the New York Post, Erik Fleming, a former Hollywood producer and addiction counselor, was sentenced Wednesday to two years behind bars for distributing ketamine connected to Perry’s 2023 death at his Los Angeles home.
Fleming, 56, previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Prosecutors said he played a key role in connecting Perry to Jasveen Sangha, the alleged dealer known publicly as the “Ketamine Queen.”
Authorities said Perry had been legally receiving ketamine treatments for depression but later sought larger amounts outside medical supervision. Fleming allegedly arranged drug purchases through Sangha and then resold the ketamine to Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.
Fleming became the first defendant in the case to cooperate with investigators and later testified against Sangha.
Sangha was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison for her role in the overdose case. During her sentencing hearing, Perry’s family addressed the court directly.
“I feel bad for you, Miss Sangha. I don’t hate you. … You are a drug dealer,” Perry’s stepfather, Keith Morrison, said emotionally in court.
He also described Perry as a gifted performer who should have “had another act.”
The sprawling investigation has led to charges against multiple people accused of supplying Perry with ketamine in the weeks leading up to his death on Oct. 28, 2023.
Doctor Mark Chavez received eight months of home confinement after admitting he supplied ketamine to another physician involved in the case, Dr. Salvador Plasencia.
According to prosecutors, Plasencia referred to Perry as “a famous patient” who was willing to “pay a premium” for the drug. Court filings also revealed text messages in which Plasencia allegedly asked, “How much this moron will pay?”
Plasencia was later sentenced to two and a half years in prison for his involvement.
Federal prosecutors said Perry was injected with ketamine multiple times in the days before his death, including once in the back seat of a parked car near an aquarium in Long Beach, California.
Iwamasa, Perry’s longtime assistant, is still awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death. Prosecutors said he administered the fatal dose that killed the actor.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10 and faces up to 15 years in prison.
