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Matthew Perry’s Former Assistant Nears Sentencing After Guilty Plea and Family Condemnation

The recommended 41‑month prison term will test whether Iwamasa’s cooperation and claim that he could not refuse his employer outweigh prosecutors’ allegations that he repeatedly injected Perry with ketamine.

Overview

  • Kenneth Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2026.
  • Federal prosecutors have asked the court to impose roughly 41 months in prison, saying Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with ketamine without medical training and concealed his role from investigators.
  • In presentencing filings Iwamasa’s lawyers asked for leniency, arguing he was an employee who acted at Perry’s direction and could not “simply say no,” a claim he acknowledged had tragic consequences.
  • Multiple family victim impact letters condemned Iwamasa for betraying trust and for his conduct after Perry’s death, with Perry’s mother writing that the family had “trusted a man without a conscience.”
  • The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled ketamine the primary cause of Perry’s October 2023 death, and prior co‑defendants have received varied sentences—most notably a 15‑year term for the supplier—which underscore how cooperation and roles shaped punishments in the case.