The Last Man Sentenced in Matthew Perry’s Death Gets 41 Months
The final chapter in the criminal prosecution stemming from the death of actor Matthew Perry closed this week when Kenneth Iwamasa, 61, of Toluca Lake, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison — becoming the fifth and last defendant sentenced in connection with Perry’s fatal ketamine overdose in October 2023.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Iwamsas had known the actor since 1992 and became his live-in personal assistant in 2022, earning $150,000 per year. His responsibilities included coordinating Perry’s medical care and ensuring the actor took his lawfully prescribed medications. He had no medical training whatsoever — and he was fully aware of Perry’s long history of drug addiction.
Prosecutors said that rather than protect Perry, Iwamasa became his enabler and drug supplier. Beginning in September 2023, he conspired with a physician, a drug counselor, and others to obtain ketamine and inject it directly into the actor.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Santa Monica physician Salvador Plasencia — known as “Dr. P” — distributed 20 vials of ketamine to Iwamasa, taught him how to inject Perry, and charged $57,000 for his services, even though the going rate for ketamine was roughly $15 per vial.
When Plasencia injected Perry with a large dose that caused the actor to freeze up and be unable to move or speak, Plasencia said, “Let’s not do that again.” Iwamasa had already begun arranging a cheaper, steadier supply from elsewhere.
In October 2023, Iwamasa purchased 51 vials of ketamine over 11 days from drug counselor Erik Fleming of Hawthorne, who obtained them from Jasveen Sangha, 42 — known as the “Ketamine Queen” — of North Hollywood.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in the days before Perry’s death, Iwamasa found Perry unconscious on at least two occasions and witnessed a severe adverse reaction following an injection. On October 28, 2023, he injected Perry with at least three shots of ketamine. Perry died that day.
When LAPD officers arrived and questioned Iwamasa, he provided a list of Perry’s doctors and medications — and deliberately omitted ketamine. He then destroyed evidence, removing ketamine bottles and syringes, and called Fleming to tell him he had “deleted everything,” according to court documents.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury.
United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced him to 41 months and fined him $10,000.
Sangha, Plasencia, and Fleming are serving federal sentences of 15 years, two and a half years, and two years, respectively. Former San Diego physician Mark Chavez, who supplied the drug to Plasencia, received eight months of home detention.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello and Haoxiaohan H. Cai.
Hate Crime Suspect Released Over Prosecution’s Objection
A 21-year-old South Los Angeles man charged with a felony hate crime for attacking a Jewish resident near a Pico-Robertson synagogue was released on his own recognizance this week — over the prosecution’s strenuous objection.
Semaj De Leone James was charged with one felony count of violation of civil rights by force after allegedly attacking a victim who was walking home from synagogue on the night of April 27, 2026. James allegedly followed the victim into a nearby alley in a van, jumped out, and attacked him without provocation.
West Los Angeles Police detectives, working with the FBI, identified James as the suspect. He was arrested May 19 following a surveillance operation and arraigned May 20, pleading not guilty.
The court released James on his own recognizance despite prosecutors’ objections — and the judge’s reasoning is drawing significant attention.
According to the DA’s Office, the court indicated it felt bound to release the defendant under the California Supreme Court’s April 2026 decision placing new constraints on pretrial detention statewide. The decision — handed down just weeks before James’s arraignment — is already reshaping how judges approach bail and detention decisions across California, and the Pico-Robertson case is one of the first high-profile examples of its impact.
“Attacking someone because of their faith is not just a crime against one person — it’s an assault on our community,” said LA District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “Every person has a fundamental civil right to worship freely without being harassed, attacked or threatened. I want every resident in Los Angeles County to know that my office will aggressively prosecute hate crimes against our communities.”
James faces up to three years in county jail if convicted. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 4.
Deputy District Attorney Daniel Linehan of the Airport Branch Office is prosecuting.
Man Charged With Murdering Girlfriend, Abducting 5-Year-Old Before Fleeing to Mexico
A 40-year-old Los Angeles man is facing murder charges after allegedly killing his girlfriend, abducting their 5-year-old daughter, and fleeing to Mexico.
Ruben Fregosojuarez is charged with one count of murder and one misdemeanor count of child abuse in connection with the death of his 36-year-old girlfriend on or about May 25, 2026. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Fregosojuarez allegedly murdered the woman and then fled across the border with the couple’s young child.
“The killing of a mother and the abduction of a young child is the kind of violence that shocks the entire community,” said LA District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “I cannot imagine the grief and fear that the innocent child faced as she was allegedly snatched after her mother was killed. The defendant will face his day in court, and our Family Violence Division will pursue every available resource and work with federal and Mexican law enforcement authorities to seek justice for the woman whose life was stolen and for the child caught in this tragedy.”
If caught and convicted as charged, Fregosojuarez faces 25 years to life in state prison.
Deputy District Attorney Kelsey McKeever-Unger of the Family Violence Division is prosecuting. The case remains under active investigation by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division.
Culver City Restaurateur Gets 41 Months for $4 Million COVID Loan Fraud
A Culver City restaurateur who built a hospitality empire spanning California, Tennessee, and Kentucky was sentenced this week to 41 months in federal prison after fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million in COVID-19 economic relief loans.
Philip Frederick Camino, 46, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter sentenced him to 41 months and ordered him to pay $4,365,667 in restitution. Camino was remanded into federal custody at the conclusion of the hearing.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, between April 2020 and April 2021, Camino submitted more than 20 fraudulent loan applications to the Small Business Administration and various banks under the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
In those applications, he inflated employee counts, submitted fictitious federal tax forms that were never filed with the IRS, and falsely certified that loan proceeds would be used for permissible business purposes.
His companies were based in Hollywood, Westwood, Studio City, Beverly Hills, and Arizona.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
