The Last Defendant Faces the Gavel
resident was sentenced to Wednesday for repeatedly injecting with ketamine, including the fatal doses that killed the "Friends" star in October 2023.
Kenneth Iwamasa, 61, of Toluca Lake, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for injecting Matthew Perry with ketamine before the actor's death in October 2023. Iwamasa was the last of five defendants sentenced in the case.
resident was sentenced to Wednesday for repeatedly injecting with ketamine, including the fatal doses that killed the "Friends" star in October 2023.
Kenneth Iwamasa, 61, was the last of five defendants to be sentenced in the case. U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. She also ordered Iwamasa to serve two years of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine.
"You were privy to his struggle with addiction," Garnett told Iwamasa. "Your conduct was reckless, not just on the day of his death but leading up to his death."
Iwamasa had known Perry since 1992. He was hired as Perry's live-in personal assistant and earned $150,000 annually, according to court records. Prosecutors said Iwamasa became the actor's drug supplier and enabler instead of helping him maintain sobriety.
"This case is about a breach of trust," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello told the court. "Mr. Perry wanted to overcome his demons and live a sober life. He became Mr. Perry's drug supplier and enabler."
Iwamasa pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. He admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine despite having no medical training.
Prosecutors said Iwamasa obtained more than 70 vials of ketamine for Perry in one month. Records show he purchased 51 vials from acquaintance Erik Fleming over 11 days in the month Perry died, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
On October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine multiple times. Perry told him, "Shoot me up with a big one," according to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court.
Perry was found dead face down in a hot tub behind his Pacific Palisades home. Iwamasa was the last person to see the actor alive and the one who discovered his body.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as the acute effects of ketamine. Contributing factors included drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
Prosecutors also said Iwamasa deliberately omitted mentioning ketamine was in Perry's system when first responders arrived. He had found Perry unconscious from drug use on at least two occasions before his death.
Perry's mother, Suzanne Morrison, attended the sentencing with her husband, Keith Morrison. She wrote a victim impact statement for the court.
"Matthew trusted Kenny. We trusted Kenny. Kenny's most important job — by far — was to be my son's companion and guardian in his fight against addiction. We trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price."
Perry's longtime business manager and estate executor, Lisa Ferguson, spoke directly to Iwamasa in court.
"What you are is the monster who killed him," Ferguson said. "Matthew deserved to live. You don't."
Iwamasa's attorney, Alan Eisner, argued that Perry was "not blameless in the events that led to his own death" and that Iwamasa "didn't have the spine to say no to his boss."
Judge Garnett pushed back.
"Unwilling — not unable," she told the attorney.
Eisner responded, "He didn't have the strength of character to do that."
Iwamasa turned to Perry's family and loved ones sitting in the first row after the sentence was read.
"I'm horribly, horribly sorry," Iwamasa said. "I offer my condolences to you. I will forever regret it and I will take it to my grave."
Five people were charged in connection with Perry's death. Iwamasa was the last to be sentenced. Here is how the others were punished:
Iwamasa was the first defendant to cut a deal with prosecutors and served as their most important witness, according to CNN.
Iwamasa lives in Toluca Lake, a neighborhood just east of the Hollywood Burbank Airport and north of the San Fernando Valley floor. The area is known for its tree-lined streets and proximity to major entertainment studios.
Perry detailed his years-long struggle with addiction in his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing." He said he went through detox dozens of times before his death at age 54.
This article was generated with AI assistance.