Matthew Perry drug middleman jailed for two years

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Los Angeles: A California federal court sentenced Erik Fleming, a certified drug counselor, to two years in prison on Wednesday for his role in providing the ketamine that caused the death of ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry. Fleming, 56, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution resulting in death. In addition to his prison term, he will serve three years of supervised release.

The sentencing marks the fourth of five individuals charged in connection with the actor's 2023 death. Prosecutors provided ‘overwhelming evidence’ that Fleming acted as a middleman, working with dealer Jasveen Sangha known as the ‘Ketamine Queen’ to sell 51 vials of the drug to Perry’s personal assistant. The assistant subsequently administered the fatal doses to Perry.

Before the court, Fleming expressed deep shame, acknowledging that as an addiction counselor, he knew his actions were illegal and wrong.

While Perry had been undergoing supervised ketamine therapy for depression, investigators found he had developed an addiction to black-market sources of the anesthetic in his final months.