A former live-in assistant to Matthew Perry was sentenced Wednesday to three years and five months in prison for distributing the ketamine that caused the actor\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
Kenneth Iwamasa, who previously made $150,000 a year working for Perry, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. He admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry, 54, with ketamine without medical training, including multiple injections on Oct. 28, 2023 \u2014 the day of Perry\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
Perry, who had a history of drug abuse and addiction, was found dead<\/a> in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home from acute effects of the drug. Iwamasa was among five people charged in connection with Perry\u2019s death and is the final one to be sentenced.<\/p>\n The judge ordered Iwamasa to self surrender by July 17.<\/p>\n \u201cYour conduct was reckless, not just on the day of his death, but leading up to his death,\u201d U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett told Iwamasa, as she handed down her sentence.<\/p>\n While prosecutors noted in their sentencing memo that Iwamasa was the first defendant to cooperate against the others, they asked the judge to sentence him to more than three years in prison. They cited the former assistant\u2019s responsibility for Perry\u2019s medical care, knowledge of the actor\u2019s addiction struggles and steps to remove and destroy evidence following Perry\u2019s death.<\/p>\n \u201cAs defendant watched Perry spiral into darkness, he could have taken steps at any point to pull Perry back into the light,\u201d prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. <\/p>\n \u201cDefendant could have contacted Mr. Perry\u2019s family members or sought professional help to address Perry\u2019s drug relapse, or he could have simply said \u2018no\u2019 when Perry asked for another ketamine injection. But he chose not to help, and instead concealed the ongoing danger to Mr. Perry, which ultimately resulted in his death.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear what sentence Iwamasa\u2019s attorneys are requesting. <\/p>\n In a reply to the government\u2019s sentencing memo, Alan Eisner and Dmitry Gorin cited Iwamasa\u2019s \u201cparticular vulnerability to the relationship dynamic which he fell into with the victim.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn short, he could not \u2018simply say no,\u2019\u201d Iwamasa\u2019s defense attorneys wrote. \u201cThat inability had tragic consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n In letters to the judge ahead of sentencing, Perry\u2019s loved ones said the actor had considered Iwamasa \u201cfamily.\u201d Suzanne Morrison, Perry\u2019s mother, said Iwamasa\u2019s No. 1 responsibility \u201cwas to be my son\u2019s companion and guardian in his fight against addiction.\u201d<\/p>\n After Perry\u2019s death, Morrison wrote, Iwamasa insisted on speaking at the funeral and clung to the family, \u201cas if he was somehow the good guy who tried to save Matthew.\u201d She accused Iwamasa of threatening legal action \u201cto pry a settlement from workman\u2019s comp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe trusted a man without a conscience, and my son paid the price,\u201d Morrison wrote.<\/p>\n Iwamasa had known Perry since around 1992 and became his live-in assistant in 2022, according to prosecutors. His responsibilities included coordinating medical appointments and helping ensure Perry took medication that he was lawfully prescribed.<\/p>\n According to Iwamasa\u2019s plea agreement, around September 2023, Perry requested Iwamasa\u2019s help procuring illegal drugs. At that point, prosecutors said, rather than help Perry maintain sobriety, Iwamasa \u201cbecame his enabler and drug supplier.\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout October 2023, prosecutors said, Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry \u201cwith doses of ketamine without proper medical training or the equipment necessary to ensure the drug was being safely administered.\u201d They cited the fact that Iwamasa saw \u201cclear warning signs that Mr. Perry was in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n At least twice in October, Iwamasa found Perry unconscious in his home and also saw Perry \u201cfreeze up,\u201d unable to speak after a large ketamine injection, according to the government\u2019s sentencing memo. Despite that, prosecutors said, between Oct. 24 and 27, Iwamasa injected Perry with six to eight shots per day.<\/p>\n Iwamasa admitted that on the day of Perry\u2019s death, at the actor\u2019s direction, he injected Perry with a shot of ketamine in the morning and again while he watched a movie around midday. Less than an hour later, Perry asked Iwamasa to prepare the jacuzzi and \u201cshoot me up with a big one.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the plea agreement, Iwamasa filled a syringe with ketamine and administered it to Perry while the actor was in or near the jacuzzi. Soon after, Iwamasa left to run errands for Perry. When he returned, he found Perry\u2019s body.<\/p>\n While being questioned by police officers, prosecutors said Iwamasa concealed the injections he\u2019d administered and \u201calso took steps to remove and destroy evidence related to Mr. Perry\u2019s use of ketamine in the days leading up to his death.\u201d<\/p>\n Prosecutors said Iwamasa later provided \u201csignificant and credible information related to the drug conspiracy.\u201d<\/p>\n