A US federal court on Wednesday sent to prison the fourth of the five people charged in the death of Canadian actor Matthew Perry. Erik Fleming, who has been identified by the media as a certified drug addiction counselor, he received a two-year prison sentence. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
A fifty-six-year-old man pleaded guilty in 2024 to being involved in the distribution of ketamine resulting in death. On Wednesday, a federal court in Los Angeles sent him to prison for two years and fined him $200. The prosecution said Fleming knowingly sold illegal drugs to the victim, who was publicly known to be struggling with addiction.
“It’s truly a nightmare I can’t wake up from,” Fleming said before the sentencing. The AP reported that he arrived in court dressed in a black suit and spoke in a deep and serious voice from the lectern. “I’m haunted by the mistakes I’ve made,” he claimed. He is to start serving his sentence within 45 days. In addition to prison, the court also sentenced him to three years’ probation.
Matthew Perry, who became famous for his role as Chandler Bing in the series Friends, died on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54. His body was found in his home in Los Angeles. The medical examiner ruled that the main cause of death was ketamine, which is usually used as a surgical anesthetic.
Before Fleming, three people were already convicted in the case of the actor’s death. So far, the last of them was Jasveen Sangh, also nicknamed the “ketamine queen”, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison at the beginning of April. At the end of last year, two doctors were sentenced to two and a half years in prison, respectively eight months in house arrest.
Perry was taking ketamine legally on the advice of his doctor to treat depression, but he wanted higher doses than he could provide. Therefore, about two weeks before his death, he contacted the Sangha through his friend. According to the AP, Fleming obtained ketamine from her, which he subsequently sold at a markup to Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamas. In this case, he is also the last defendant, against whom the sentence will be pronounced during the next two weeks.
Ketamine has seen a huge increase in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. reminds AP. People close to Perry told investigators that he was undergoing IV therapy with the substance. On the basis of the autopsy, it was found that his blood was in the amount that is used in general anesthesia during surgery.
