A former Midland man is one of the five people charged on Aug. 15 in connection with "Friends" star Matthew Perry's death from a ketamine overdose in October 2023.
Prosecutors say Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, of Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, California, conspired with three other people who were charged to illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to Perry. Iwamasa, who worked as Perry's live-in personal assistant, repeatedly injected Perry with ketamine despite no medical training. On Aug. 7, he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
Iwamasa was raised in Midland by his parents, Robert Iwamasa and Ruby Iwamasa, who was known for her 32 years of work with Delta College Public Broadcasting. He graduated from H.H. Dow High School in 1982 and attended Lansing Community College for two years between 1983 and 1985 before moving to Los Angeles to study at Columbia College Hollywood.
According to Iwamasa's LinkedIn, he worked as Perry's executive assistant and personal manager since April 1994. He was also an assistant to other stars,, such as Angela Bassett, Kate Lanier and Doug Chapin, as well as a talent manager for Doug Chapin Management.
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According to prosecutors, after Perry — who chronicled his life and struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction in his November 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" — expressed an interest in ketamine in late September 2023, Iwamasa obtained and distributed ketamine to Perry throughout September and October, using coded language to communicate with the others charged .
Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine at least six times a day in the days before his death and at least three times on Oct. 28, 2023, before Perry was found dead in a jacuzzi in his Pacific Palisades home.
Iwamasa faces up to 15 years in prison.
According to prosecutors, the four others charged in Perry's death are:
- Jasveen Sangha, 41, a.k.a. “The Ketamine Queen,” of North Hollywood, who is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. If convicted of all charges, Sangha would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
- Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42, a.k.a. “Dr. P,” of Santa Monica, who is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. If convicted of all charges, Plasencia would face up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each records falsification count.
- Erik Fleming, 54, of Hawthorne, who pled guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Fleming admitted in court documents that he distributed 50 vials of ketamine to Iwamasa, including the ketamine that killed Perry. Fleming faces up to 25 years in prison.
- Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, a physician who has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Chavez admitted in his plea agreement to selling ketamine to Plasencia, including ketamine that he had diverted from his former ketamine clinic. Chavez also obtained additional ketamine to transfer to Plasencia by making false representations to a wholesale ketamine distributor and by submitting a fraudulent prescription in the name of a former patient without that patient’s knowledge or consent. Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Michigan man Kenneth Iwamasa charged in death of 'Friends' star Matthew Perry
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