Matthew Perry Ketamine Supplier Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison in Actor’s Death
One of the men involved in the ketamine supply chain that led to Matthew Perry’s death has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, closing another chapter in the criminal case surrounding the Friends star’s fatal overdose.
Erick Fleming, the man prosecutors say connected Perry to alleged drug supplier Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” by prosecutors, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distributing ketamine resulting in death. Federal authorities said Fleming personally helped facilitate the delivery of 51 vials of ketamine to Perry’s live-in assistant, including the batch connected to the dose that killed the actor in October 2023.
Before receiving his sentence, Fleming addressed the court directly, expressing remorse for his role in the case. He told the judge he was haunted by his decisions, ashamed of the pain he caused, and wished he could undo what happened. Outside the courthouse, he told reporters he accepted responsibility and believed he deserved punishment.
Federal prosecutors had pushed for a 30-month sentence but argued Fleming deserved reduced punishment because he quickly accepted responsibility and cooperated with investigators. His assistance became especially significant because evidence from his phone helped authorities build the broader case, including the prosecution of Sangha.
Fleming’s defense team had asked for a far lighter sentence, proposing a split arrangement that would combine a short prison term with mandatory residential addiction treatment. His attorneys argued that Fleming was in the middle of his own relapse at the time, financially desperate, unemployed, and acting outside his normal professional history. A former television showrunner, USC graduate, and licensed addiction counselor, Fleming claimed he had never sold street drugs before becoming involved in Perry’s case and said he made less than $2,000 from the transactions.
Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett acknowledged Fleming’s cooperation but made clear that his assistance only came after law enforcement confronted him months after Perry’s death, not because he voluntarily came forward. While she granted some leniency, she noted that Fleming knowingly helped supply ketamine to someone struggling with addiction.
The judge compared Fleming’s conduct to that of Dr. Salvador Plasencia, one of the physicians charged in the case, though she distinguished the doctor’s deeper involvement. According to prosecutors, Plasencia not only supplied ketamine but also taught Perry’s assistant how to inject it, provided syringes, and personally administered doses while allegedly witnessing alarming physical reactions. Plasencia was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Perry died on October 28, 2023, after being found unresponsive in the jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. The actor, best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, was 54. His autopsy determined the cause of death was the acute effects of ketamine.
The wider federal case has involved five defendants, including Fleming, Sangha, Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and two doctors accused of supplying the actor with large quantities of the drug in the weeks leading up to his death. Prosecutors say Perry’s addiction made him vulnerable to a network of suppliers willing to profit from it.
Court filings revealed especially damaging evidence after Perry’s death. Prosecutors said Sangha allegedly contacted Fleming via encrypted messaging apps and instructed him to delete their communications after the overdose. According to forensic investigators, Sangha also changed her message settings to automatically erase conversations. Fleming, however, preserved the messages, evidence that later helped prosecutors strengthen their case.
Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted to injecting Perry multiple times on the day of his death, is still awaiting sentencing and is scheduled to appear in court later this month. Dr. Mark Chavez, another physician charged in the case, previously received home detention and supervised release after reaching his own plea agreement.
