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Who is Erik Fleming, Matthew Perry’s alleged dealer
The actor’s close acquaintance is facing a lengthy jail sentence for his involvement in allegedly securing the vials of ketamine that led to Perry’s death.
Five people, including two doctors, have been arrested in conjunction with the investigation into the death of Matthew Perry last year. Perry, best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the NBC sitcom Friends, was found unresponsive in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home on 28 October. He was 54.
Initially, it was thought that his death was a tragic accident but it has since been revealed that Perry had been taking ketamine to treat depression. Ketamine is an anesthetic which is predominantly used as a veterinary anesthetic. the drug is abused for its ability to produce dissociative sensations and hallucinations. It is sold in powder or liquid forms - the latter, is taken intravenously.
Matthew Perry’s battles with Ketamine
Since 1999, Ketamine has been classified as a Schedule III non-narcotic substance under the Controlled Substances Act - i.e. it has a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.
The five people who have been charged in connection with Perry’s death are: Dr. Salvador Plasencia, San Diego-based Dr. Mark Chavez, Perry’s live-in personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Jasveen Sangha who is referred to as “The Ketamine Queen” and a close friend of the actor, Erik Fleming.
Each defendant “played a role in falsely prescribing, selling or injecting the ketamine that led to the actor’s death”, Anne Milgram, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said. Authorities claim that Sangha sold the doses that killed Perry from her “stash house” in North Hollywood.
What do we know about Erik Fleming?
Fleming, 54, is believed to been an acquaintance of Perry’s and has been charged with acting as a middleman, coordinating with Iwamasa and Sangha, to acquire and distribute doses of ketamine. He admitted to distributing 50 vials of ketamine, half of them four days before Perry’s death. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
The 54-year-old is reported to be from Hawthorne, southwestern Los Angeles, graduated from USC School of Cinematic Arts and has been active in the film industry as a director, producer and actor. He directed the 1999 children’s fantasy comedy My Brother the Pig which starred Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and Judge Reinhold as well as Cyber Bandits (1995) and Tyrone (1999).
As a producer, Fleming was involved in the inaugural season of the reality show The Surreal Life (2003). He was also president of production at production company Rich Hippie, which was financially backed by billionaire businessman and media magnate Sumner Redstone.