Erik Fleming admitted to delivering ketamine linked to Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose
A drug counsellor who supplied ketamine connected to the death of Matthew Perry has been sentenced to two years in prison after admitting his role in the fatal drug distribution case.
Erik Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of the drug resulting in death or serious injury following the death of the Friends actor in October 2023. Prosecutors said Fleming helped connect Perry with convicted drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, who became known during the investigation as the “Ketamine Queen”.
Fleming appeared in federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, where he expressed remorse over the role he played in the actor’s death.
“It’s truly a nightmare I can’t wake up from,” Fleming told Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett. “I’m haunted by the mistakes I made.”
According to court documents, Fleming helped distribute 51 vials of ketamine to Perry during October 2023, including the fatal dose linked to the actor’s accidental overdose. Prosecutors argued Fleming knowingly participated in supplying the drugs despite understanding Perry’s long history of addiction struggles.
Before sentencing, Fleming submitted a letter to the court admitting he had relapsed into addiction himself during the period leading up to Perry’s death. He said financial desperation and poor judgment drove his actions.
“I procured ketamine for Matthew Perry because I wanted the money and because I thought I was doing a favour for a friend,” Fleming wrote. “I never contemplated the worst possible outcome.”
He also apologised directly to Perry’s loved ones, saying he felt “overwhelmed with grief and shame” after learning the actor had died.
Perry died aged 54 on 28 October 2023 after being found unresponsive in the jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles. A medical examiner later concluded he died from the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning identified as a secondary factor.
The actor had openly battled substance addiction for decades and spoke extensively about his recovery journey in interviews and his memoir. Perry became one of television’s most recognisable stars through his role as Chandler Bing in Friends alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc.
Investigators later uncovered a wider network of medical professionals and suppliers connected to Perry’s access to ketamine in the weeks before his death. Fleming became the first of five defendants to plead guilty after the investigation intensified in 2024.
Jasveen Sangha was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison after prosecutors described her as a major ketamine supplier operating a lavish lifestyle funded through drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, doctor Salvador Plasencia received a prison sentence of two and a half years for illegally supplying ketamine to Perry, while Mark Chavez was sentenced to eight months of home confinement after admitting involvement in selling ketamine to Plasencia.
Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is still awaiting sentencing.
Fleming’s lawyer argued during the hearing that his client had significantly helped investigators by identifying Sangha during the investigation. According to defence attorney Robert Dugdale, authorities “didn’t have a clue” who she was before Fleming cooperated.
Despite requests from his legal team for a lighter sentence involving supervised release, the judge ordered Fleming to serve two years in federal prison. He was instructed to surrender within 45 days.
The sentencing marks another painful chapter in the tragedy surrounding Matthew Perry’s death, a case that continues exposing the dangerous underground trade in ketamine and the devastating consequences of addiction.