Kenneth Iwamasa, who served as the assistant to Matthew Perry, was sentenced on Wednesday to 41 months in federal prison for his role in distributing ketamine to the actor, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett imposed a $10,000 fine on Iwamasa.
Iwamasa, aged 61, was responsible for obtaining the fatal dose of ketamine that led to Perry’s death in October 2023, administering it repeatedly to him.
A statement from Perry’s sisters, Caitlin and Madeline Morrison, described Iwamasa as the individual who “left her in the bathtub to die.”
Madeline shared her feelings of betrayal, saying it was like losing her brother all over again, feeling deceived by what Iwamasa had told the family about Perry’s last moments. “I never thought someone my brother regarded as family could betray him in such a horrific way,” she expressed.
She recounted how surreal it was choosing clothing for Perry’s burial. Memories lingered of Iwamasa’s odd behavior, noting how he seemed more engaged in self-promotion during a moment of mourning. “It felt so wrong,” she reflected.
Iwamasa’s presence at Perry’s funeral added to the family’s pain. Madeline revealed that during the service, the person responsible for Perry’s death had the audacity to address those who cared for him most. “It was a cruel joke,” she lamented.
Perry’s mother, Suzanne, emphasized that Iwamasa’s job was to safeguard her son during his struggles with addiction. “He was supposed to be Matthew’s protector,” she noted, adding that she felt a piercing gaze from Iwamasa even amid grief.
With Iwamasa’s sentencing, all five defendants connected to Perry’s death—including notorious figures like the “Queen of Ketamine,” Jasveen Sangha—have now been sentenced. Perry passed away on October 28, 2023, after an apparent drowning in his bathtub at home.
Details that emerged indicated that Iwamasa was responsible for procuring numerous vials of ketamine in the weeks leading up to Perry’s death, with financial transactions suggesting vulnerability on Perry’s part.
According to documents, Iwamasa facilitated a series of meetings between Perry and those who supplied the drugs. He faced allegations of administering multiple doses leading up to Perry’s tragic end.
As the investigation revealed, Perry engaged with several doctors for prescriptions, leading to a troubling scenario where he received drugs meant to be managed under medical supervision. Conversations among the involved parties often included coded language for substances, showcasing a disturbing undercurrent of deception.
Iwamasa administered several injections in the days before Perry died, which sparked national outrage. His guilty plea on August 7 marked a critical point in the ongoing legal ramifications stemming from this heartbreaking incident.
