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News|May 13, 2026|2 min read

Drug addiction counsellor sentenced in Matthew Perry's overdose death

Erik Fleming, a drug addiction counsellor involved in Friends star Matthew Perry's overdose death, has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

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A drug addiction counsellor implicated in the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry has received a two-year prison sentence, according to reports from US media outlets.

Erik Fleming, aged 56, was one of five individuals charged following Perry's death. He procured the anesthetic ketamine from a Los Angeles woman known as the "Ketamine Queen" and provided it to the actor. In August 2024, Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

In addition to his prison sentence, a federal judge ordered him to serve three years of supervised release and imposed a $200 fine.

Matthew Perry was discovered deceased in his backyard jacuzzi in Southern California in October 2023, with the cause of death attributed to the acute effects of ketamine.

Fleming is among five individuals, including medical professionals and Perry's assistant, who have been identified by US authorities as having supplied ketamine to the actor, ultimately exploiting his struggle with addiction for financial gain—an action that led to his tragic overdose.

He marks the fourth individual to be sentenced in this lengthy legal process, with all having previously pleaded guilty in the federal case.

Recently, Jasveen Sangha, 42, the dealer known as the "Ketamine Queen," received a 15-year prison sentence for her role in supplying drugs that contributed to Perry's demise.

In December, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who provided ketamine to Perry weeks before his death, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Another physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, who sold ketamine to the actor, was also sentenced in December to eight months of home detention followed by three years of supervised release.

Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's personal live-in assistant, who faced accusations of administering ketamine to the actor, is set to be sentenced on May 27 after entering a guilty plea for conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death.

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