Kenneth Iwamasa, Matthew Perry’s live-in personal assistant, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison on Wednesday following Perry’s fatal ketamine overdose in October 2023. Iwamasa was charged for his role in obtaining and repeatedly injecting Perry with the drug, including the administration that resulted in his death, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Iwamasa, who had known the “Friends” actor since 1992 and became his assistant in 2022, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury. He is the fifth and final defendant to be sentenced in connection with Perry’s death.
Per the release, Iwamasa was both aware of Perry’s history with drug addiction and was not a trained medical professional who could administer the drug. In their sentencing position, prosecutors wrote that “rather than help Mr. Perry maintain sobriety, [Iwamasa] became his enabler and drug supplier.”
From September 2023 to Perry’s death, Iwamasa conspired with physician Salvador Plasencia and drug counselor Erik Fleming, among others, to “knowingly and intentionally distribute ketamine to Perry.”
While the ketamine provided by Plasencia did not cause Perry’s death, he distributed 20 vials, multiple tablets and syringes of the drug to Iwamasa and the actor, which totaled $57,000. Plasencia also taught Iwamasa how to inject the drug for Perry. (The physician surrendered his medical license in September 2025.)
