Ketamine supplier jailed in Matthew Perry overdose case

In a federal court in Los Angeles, Erik Fleming, a 56-year-old drug addiction counsellor, was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to distribute ketamine connected to the overdose death of Friends star Matthew Perry. Fleming was one of five people charged after Perry’s death, and prosecutors said he sourced the surgical anesthetic ketamine from a Los Angeles woman dubbed the Ketamine Queen and supplied it to the actor. Fleming pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. A federal judge also imposed three years of supervised release and a $200 fine.

Perry was found dead in his backyard jacuzzi in October 2023, with authorities determining the death stemmed from the acute effects of ketamine. Prosecutors had sought a two-and-a-half-year prison term, while Fleming’s defense team had urged a much shorter sentence of three months in prison and nine months in a residential drug treatment facility. In court, Fleming told the judge, “It’s truly a nightmare I can’t wake up from. I’m haunted by the mistakes I made,” and his lawyers noted he has expressed remorse and taken steps to atone for his actions. He also said in a sentencing memo that he took responsibility and hoped the sentence would bring justice and peace to those who loved Perry. Fleming is among a group including medical doctors and the actor’s assistant who faced charges in the case. In this sentencing, the court underscored the harm caused by the illegal distribution of ketamine and the way it can fuel addiction and tragedy.

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