Licensed Addiction Counselor Sentenced to Two Years for Supplying Ketamine in Matthew Perry Case

Erik Fleming, the licensed drug addiction counselor who pleaded guilty to helping supply ketamine tied to actor Matthew Perry's fatal overdose, was sentenced on May 13, 2026, to two years in federal prison.

The Details

In August 2024, Fleming appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death, according to the Associated Press and ABC News. Fleming's 2024 guilty plea covered charges of conspiracy and distribution tied to the fatal overdose, the Associated Press reported. Prosecutors said Fleming and drug dealer Jasveen Sangha sold 51 vials of ketamine in October 2023, according to ABC News. The vials were provided to Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's live-in assistant, and included the ketamine involved in Perry's fatal overdose on October 28, 2023, at his Los Angeles home, prosecutors said. Fleming also played a role in connecting Perry to Sangha, whom prosecutors labeled the "Ketamine Queen," according to multiple reports. Sangha was sentenced in April 2026 to 15 years in federal prison for her role in the distribution network.

During his sentencing hearing on May 13 in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles, Fleming addressed the judge and expressed remorse for his actions. "My chest and heart hurt every day," he said, according to the Associated Press. Fleming also told the court, "It's truly a nightmare I can't wake up from. I'm haunted by the mistakes I made," The Guardian reported. He added, "I am regretfully sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused the family," according to ABC News.

NBC News reported that Fleming's sentence includes 24 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, a $200 special assessment, and an order requiring him to surrender to federal authorities by noon on June 29, 2026. The Associated Press reported Fleming is the fourth defendant to be sentenced among five people who pleaded guilty in prosecutions stemming from Perry's 2023 death. The sentencing follows Sangha's April 2026 sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

Context

The case has drawn wide public attention because Perry was a globally known actor from the long-running sitcom "Friends" who had openly discussed his struggles with addiction. Perry died on October 28, 2023, after being injected with ketamine at his Los Angeles home, according to prosecutors' account cited by multiple outlets. Other defendants in the case included his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia, according to ABC News and The Guardian.

What's Next

Fleming has been ordered to surrender to federal custody by noon on June 29, 2026. After completing his two-year prison term, he will face three years of supervised release. The Associated Press reported he is the fourth of five people who pleaded guilty to be sentenced in prosecutions stemming from Perry's death. He will begin serving his prison term following the June surrender deadline.