New information about Matthew Perry’s “street drug dealer” has surfaced, including the fact that he is allegedly connected to another overdose death, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Erik Fleming pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in Matthew Perry’s death, August 8, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). He also admitted he obtained ketamine from Jasveen Sangha and distributed 50 vials to Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, before Perry’s death, the DOJ said.
New information about Fleming surfaced, inclusive of the fact that he worked as a program director at the Red Door, a Bel-Air treatment center, where a man named William Cooney fatally overdosed in 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 05: Actor Matthew Perry attends the AOL Build series to discuss “The Odd Couple” at AOL Studios in New York on April 5, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Pont/WireImage) Getty Image
Cooney was found unresponsive on the floor of a bathroom by fellow residents at the facility, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Alex Shohet and Bernadine Fried then reportedly co-owned the Red Door. They had previously operated the One80 Center, a treatment business that shuttered following allegations of substandard care, among them two deaths by drug overdose, an investigation by The Hollywood reporter found.
Amara Durham, a substance abuse consultant hired by Cooney’s family to work toward his rehabilitation, reportedly said Fleming was the one that reported to her regarding Cooney’s condition. She said she fought for further investigation but was shut down, according to the outlet.
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“My repeated efforts to engage the police to pursue the information I discovered led nowhere,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I had names and phone numbers and provided those to the responding officer. There was no inquiry. In fact, the matter was assigned to the ‘cold case’ department because they ‘had more time available.’ I asked for DEA support and was told that the case would go nowhere,” she reportedly said.
“I now wonder if Matthew Perry would be alive if William’s case had been given the attention that it deserved,” Durham told The Hollywood Reporter.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 22: Matthew Perry appears on stage at the 2023 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California on April 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
The disturbing revelations were further highlighted when Cooney’s family told The Hollywood Reporter that Brooke Mueller, the ex-wife of former addict Charlie Sheen, was a longtime friend of Fleming’s. They reportedly confirmed she was dating Cooney when he died, and alleged that she pressured Cooney to attend the facility.
Mueller reportedly also spent a period in rehab with Sangha, the so-called “Ketamine Queen,” the source Fleming purchased the vials from, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Cooney’s former wife, Sarah Morse, reportedly claimed Mueller played a big role in Cooney’s demise.
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“She introduced him to shortcuts and connections that only fueled their disease further. Through her, he was drawn into a circle of people who masked their greed behind labels like ‘addiction specialists.’ These were sober companions who would drive them to buy drugs, doctors who would prescribe anything, and enablers who would stay silent as long they were paid,” Morse told The Hollywood Reporter.
“William was vulnerable, as addicts are, and they preyed on him,” she reportedly alleged.
Drawing the connection to Fleming, she told the outlet, “William was taken to the rehab by Erik, who personally drove him there.”
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“When this happened, we were told it was impossible to prosecute, that the paperwork rehabs make addicts sign is so airtight our only hope would be to push for new legislation,” Morse told The Hollywood Reporter. (RELATED: The Dramatic Detail About Matthew Perry’s Death That Nobody Is Talking About)
“It is devastating to know this should not have happened, yet it has not been investigated. I hope the Matthew Perry tragedy has spotlighted the deep flaws in our system,” she reportedly said, alleging that the activities were “predatory practices.”
