Matthew Perry’s Former Assistant Sentenced to 41 Months for Ketamine Conspiracy

Los Angeles, May 27, 2026 – In a federal courtroom surrounded by reporters and family members, former personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa was handed a 41‑month prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine that resulted in the death of actor Matthew Perry.

The sentencing followed a 2½‑year investigation into a chain of illicit drug transactions that began in September 2023, when Perry, who had been receiving medically supervised ketamine for depression, privately requested more supply from Iwamasa. The assistant procured the drug from a private physician, a street dealer and a consultant, and repeatedly injected Perry with large doses while concealing the illegal activity from authorities.

Iwamasa’s defense argued that he had been an unwilling worker “forced by loyalty” and that he had assisted in the actor’s sobriety. Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who had presided over the earlier hearings, emphasized the assistant’s knowledge of Perry’s addiction and his role in hiding evidence, noting that cooperation during the investigation reduced the penalty from the statutory maximum of 15 years.

The verdict sparked a national conversation about the compassionate care of substance‑abusing celebrities, the legality of off‑label ketamine use, and the regulatory gaps that allow such drug distribution. Legal analysts point out that the case underlines the importance of monitoring patients with a history of drug misuse and of strict controls on prescription anesthetics.

Other defendants involved in the conspiracy—physician Salvador Plasencia, dealer Erik Fleming and the “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha—received sentences ranging from eight months to fifteen years. The combined prosecution, which began in late 2023 after Perry’s death in a backyard hot tub, illustrated how a single individual's actions can create a fatal cascade of events.

For those who watched the tragic story unfold, the court’s decision is both a cautionary tale and an acknowledgment of accountability. It also calls for more stringent oversight for caregivers and healthcare providers working with high‑risk patients.