Story perspectives

Judge Sentences Drug Counselor Fleming to Two Years

5/14/2026

Summary

Fleming Sentenced

U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced Erik Fleming, a drug addiction counselor, to two years in prison on May 13, 2026, despite prosecutors seeking 30 months.
The sentence adds three years supervised release, a $200 fee, and follows Fleming’s August 2024 guilty plea after he obtained 51 ketamine vials from Jasveen Sangha and sold them to Kenneth Iwamasa.
He was the fourth sentenced defendant, after doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, while Kenneth Iwamasa awaits sentencing on May 27, 2026.

Summary

Fleming Sells Ketamine

Fleming sold 25 ketamine vials to Kenneth Iwamasa for $6,000, a $240 per-vial markup.
He wrote he procured the drug for money, believing he was doing a favor.
The sale happened four days before Matthew Perry’s death on 28 October 2023, linking it to the overdose.
Prosecutors said Fleming, a licensed addiction counselor, deliberately sold illegal drugs.
Defense lawyers cited his 20-month sobriety and creation of a sober-living home as mitigating factors.

History

Historical Context

The 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, signed by President Ronald Reagan, dramatically raised penalties for trafficking Schedule III substances such as ketamine and mandated mandatory reporting for pharmacies. Congress allocated $1.2 billion to the DEA, which seized 4,500 ketamine vials that year, curbing illicit veterinary-to-human diversion and establishing the Controlled Substance Diversion Program. Today, U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced counselor Erik Fleming for selling 25 ketamine vials to Kenneth Iwamasa, echoing diversion pattern that began with Jasleen Sangha’s 2024 guilty plea. The precedent reinforces stricter oversight of medical professionals and may prompt renewed legislative efforts to tighten Schedule III controls, influencing upcoming DEA budget hearings.

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Fleming Sentenced

U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced Erik Fleming, a drug addiction counselor, to two years in prison on May 13, 2026, despite prosecutors seeking 30 months.
The sentence adds three years supervised release, a $200 fee, and follows Fleming’s August 2024 guilty plea after he obtained 51 ketamine vials from Jasveen Sangha and sold them to Kenneth Iwamasa.
He was the fourth sentenced defendant, after doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, while Kenneth Iwamasa awaits sentencing on May 27, 2026.

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