UNITED STATES PERSPECTIVE

Washington D.C., May 28, 2026. The conviction of Kenneth Iwamasa, Matthew Perry's personal assistant, marks a significant step in one of the most closely followed post-pandemic cases in America. Perry, the unforgettable Chandler Bing from the hit TV show Friends, died in October 2023 from a ketamine overdose. Nearly two years after his passing, the US justice system is starting to hand out blame in this complex case where the direct entourage of a celebrity is facing charges.

Iwamasa, who managed Perry's daily affairs and was supposed to ensure his well-being, pleaded guilty to providing and administering the substance to his employer. His sentence, handed down in May 2026, confirms the prosecution's thesis: a star's vulnerability can be exploited by those closest to them. The case goes beyond a personal tragedy to become a textbook example of prescription drug diversion networks.

Four co-defendants are appearing alongside Iwamasa in this sprawling case. Dr. Mark Chavez, a doctor, is accused of illegally prescribing ketamine, fueling Perry's addiction. Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the 'Ketamine Queen' by investigators, is presented as the primary supplier of the substance. Erik Fleming completes this quartet of defendants whose roles are intertwined around a damning conclusion: several people, with very different profiles, actively contributed to feeding the addiction of a man in distress.

The US procedure highlights an angle that local media emphasize: ketamine, a medically authorized anesthetic used in psychiatry to treat resistant depressions, is increasingly being diverted. The Perry case occurs in a context where the United States continues to grapple with the aftermath of the opioid crisis, and where authorities are seeking to toughen up on complacent prescribers and parallel resale networks.

Federal prosecutors have clearly signaled their intention to use this high-profile case as a deterrent. Convicting an assistant, a doctor, and a seller in the same trial sends a message at multiple levels: neither emotional proximity, medical credentials, nor the discretion of an informal network constitutes a shield against federal law. For the families of overdose victims in the United States, this trial represents a recognition that death by addiction is never an isolated accident, but often the result of a network of human and institutional failures.