Erik Fleming, who allegedly supplied the deadly ketamine to “Friends” star Matthew Perry, once directed Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes in a movie.
A day earlier, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that five suspects including the actor’s doctors and an assistant were arrested in his Ketamine overdose death investigation.
The DOJ charged Fleming as a middleman in the scheme that led to the death of the ‘Friends’ star in October last year.
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the top-rated Hollywood television comedy, was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home at the age of 54.
Read more: Matthew Perry’s doctors, assistant arrested in actor’s ketamine overdose death
Following his death, US authorities launched a probe to ascertain the facts and incidents leading to his death.
The investigations led to the arrest of five suspects including Fleming, who was accused of working as a drug dealer while coordinating with Jasveen Sangha, the so-called “Ketamine Queen.”
Sangha along with doctor Salvador Plasencia are the prime suspects who worked with doctor Mark Chavez, Matthew Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming to sell ketamine to the ‘Friends’ actor.
“After discussing prices with [co-defendant Kenneth] Iwamasa, Fleming coordinated the drug sales with Sangha, and brought cash from Iwamasa to Sangha’s stash house in North Hollywood to buy vials of ketamine,” as per the DOJ.
Erik Fleming pled guilty on August 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He now faces up to 25 years in his federal case.
It has been revealed that Fleming was once a filmmaker and a producer in Hollywood.
He directed Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes in his 1999 children’s fantasy comedy “My Brother the Pig.”
Fleming also produced the first season of the reality show “The Surreal Life” in 2003 featuring Corey Feldman, Gabrielle Carteris, Vince Neil and MC Hammer.
The alleged drug dealer also directed and produced “Tyrone”, a 1999 road trip movie starring Coolio and Kevin Connolly.
