From Caretaker to Cover-Up: Inside Kenneth Iwamasa's Post-Death Evidence Destruction

When trust becomes liability, the fall can be swift and unforgiving. Federal prosecutors are now alleging that Kenneth Iwamasa, Matthew Perry’s longtime live-in assistant, didn’t just lose his job after the Friends star’s death—he allegedly went into full damage-control mode, systematically dismantling evidence of the ketamine conspiracy that played a role in Perry’s passing.

The new court filing paints a picture of frantic, calculated action. Within days of Perry’s death, prosecutors say Iwamasa directed someone identified as B.M. to dispose of ketamine vials and syringes. But that wasn’t all. He allegedly ordered the shredding of a ketamine prescription document and a handwritten note that identified Dr. Salvador Plasencia as a ketamine source. He then allegedly scrubbed digital records, deleted files, and changed passwords on Perry’s devices—essentially erasing the digital trail that might have led investigators directly to the conspiracy’s architects.

What makes this especially damaging for Iwamasa’s defense is his own recorded admissions. In a phone call with middleman Erik Fleming, prosecutors say he confessed to the cleanup operation itself: cleaned up the scene, got rid of bottles and syringes, deleted everything. These aren’t vague allegations—they’re his own words, allegedly spelling out each stage of the cover-up.

The legal argument Iwamasa’s team tried to float—that he was simply following Perry’s instructions—crumbles when prosecutors argue he abused the trust placed in him by both the actor and his family. Perry’s family believed Iwamasa was there to protect him during his addiction struggles, not to become an accessory to a larger crime. Instead, prosecutors allege he became the cleanup crew for a criminal enterprise that cost Perry his life.

Iwamasa already pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death, cutting a deal with federal prosecutors. Now, as his sentencing approaches on Wednesday, prosecutors are seeking 41 months behind bars. The court filing makes clear they see him not as a loyal assistant caught in an impossible situation, but as someone who actively chose to destroy evidence and obstruct justice when the stakes were highest.

This case underscores a harder truth: proximity to addiction and tragedy doesn’t excuse participation in cover-up. Iwamasa had a choice at every step—and prosecutors say he chose wrong.