In October 2023, famous Hollywood actor and "Friends" co-star Matthew Perry died at his Los Angeles-area home in California from an overdose of ketamine, a powerful anesthetic and hallucinogen that is a tightly regulated and controlled prescription drug.

This week, federal authorities announced that five individuals had been arrested and charged for the respective roles they played in Perry's death, including former Hollywood director Erik Fleming, according to TMZ.

Fleming, who federal prosecutors assert was the broker who facilitated illicit drug deals between Perry's assistant and a prominent drug dealer, has already pleaded guilty to a pair of criminal charges involving the illegal distribution of ketamine.

Former Hollywood director and producer charged in Perry's death

According to USA Today, Fleming was once an up-and-coming Hollywood director and producer who apparently turned to a life of crime as an illicit drug broker when his career in the entertainment industry flamed out.

He is perhaps best known for directing the 1999 family film "My Brother the Pig" as well as for directing and producing 1999's "Tyrone" and the first season of the reality TV show "The Surreal Life" in 2003.

Per his IMDb page, Fleming has nine director credits, including for "America's Funniest Home Videos" in 1989, and 14 producer credits that span from 1992 to 2022, very few of which were highly rated.

Fleming served as a broker and go-between for Perry's assistant and dealer

In an eight-page information document released by federal prosecutors in the Central District of California, Fleming's role in the overdose death of Perry was detailed based on evidence that included encrypted messages sent and received between himself and Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and drug dealer Jasveen Sangh, who is known as the "Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood.

The messages revealed how on at least two occasions in the weeks leading up to Perry's overdose death, Fleming would receive an order and money for ketamine from Iwamasa and then give that money to Sangh in exchange for the drugs that he would then deliver back to Iwamasa.

He was charged with and pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Ketamine and one count of Distribution of Ketamine Resulting in Death and Serious Bodily Injury, for which he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, according to USA Today.

Others charged criminally for Perry's death

According to a DOJ press release on Thursday, the drug dealer Sangha faces a slew of charges that include one count each of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. If convicted on all counts, she faces anywhere from 10 years to life in prison.

Perry's assistant, Iwamasa, who admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with the illicit drug without a medical license or training, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, and faces up to 15 years in prison.

There were also two licensed doctors arrested and charged over Perry's death, including Dr. Salvadore Placensia, who was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine, and two counts of altering or falsifying records related to a federal investigation. He faces up to 120 years in prison, including 10 years for each ketamine-related count and 20 years for each records falsification count.

Also charged was Dr. Mark Chavez, who previously operated a legitimate ketamine clinic and initially legally prescribed ketamine to Perry, but then agreed to illicitly sell the drug to Placensia and admitted to making false representations to the drug's wholesale distributor and writing fraudulent prescriptions in the name of a former patient. He previously pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count and faces up to 10 years in prison.

"These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. "Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause."