Kenneth Iwamasa, a former live-in assistant to actor Matthew Perry, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death.
Federal prosecutors are seeking a 41-month prison sentence, and Iwamasa is scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday.
Prosecutors allege Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine on the day of his death and later directed the destruction of evidence. Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the television series Friends, died at age 54 on October 28, 2023.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death an accidental overdose due to the acute effects of ketamine.
According to court filings cited by prosecutors, Iwamasa told an individual identified as “B.M.” to dispose of ketamine vials, syringes, and a handwritten note that identified Dr. Salvador Plasencia as the source of the drug.
He also allegedly ordered the shredding of records and deletion of digital documents linked to Perry’s ketamine use. Prosecutors say he admitted to cleaning up the scene, deleting evidence, and changing passwords on Perry’s devices.
They further allege he misled investigators by claiming Perry had hidden the ketamine and by concealing multiple injections administered on the day of death.
The filings describe a breach of trust, alleging that Perry and his family believed he was supporting the actor’s recovery when he was instead facilitating access to a controlled substance outside proper medical oversight.
Also Read: Americans Stunned as Trump Post a Private Message on Truth Social
The ketamine distribution network described in the case shows a layered supply chain involving medical professionals and intermediaries who enabled access outside legitimate therapeutic protocols.
Prosecutors allege that ketamine was obtained in quantities inconsistent with approved treatment and passed through multiple individuals before reaching Perry.
In similar illicit drug networks tied to high-profile cases, accountability often spans from prescribing physicians to distributors and personal staff.
The structure typically relies on both professional credentials to obtain the drug and informal trust networks to administer or conceal its use.
This case also fits into a broader pattern seen in other celebrity overdose deaths involving prescription or controlled substances obtained outside regulated medical channels.
In several high-profile incidents, substances such as opioids, benzodiazepines, or anesthetics have been supplied through combinations of overprescribing and diverted prescriptions.
Also Read: Acting AG Blanche: Americans “OK With” $1.776B Trump Fund for Allies and Jan. 6 Defendants
In the days leading up to his death, Iwamasa was responsible for administering ketamine injections to Perry multiple times daily, often at the actor’s own request.
On October 28, 2023, after giving Perry several shots, including one described as a “big one,” Iwamasa left the Pacific Palisades residence to run errands. Upon his return, he discovered Perry unresponsive in the jacuzzi.
Prosecutors noted that despite his $150,000 annual salary and the family’s reliance on him to support Perry’s sobriety, Iwamasa continued facilitating the actor’s ketamine use.
They further allege he later took active steps to conceal the full extent of the drug activity from authorities.
