Death of NFL Team Owner Under Federal Investigation

The death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is now under federal scrutiny, according to law enforcement sources, adding a stunning new layer to the passing of the billionaire NFL executive.

Sources tell ABC News that both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration are examining the circumstances surrounding Irsay’s death in May at the Beverly Hills Hotel, as well as the actions of a California-based addiction specialist who allegedly treated him with opioids and ketamine.

Irsay was 65 at the time of his death. His death certificate lists the cause as cardiac arrest due to pneumonia and notes that no autopsy was performed. The document was signed by Dr. Harry Haroutunian, the addiction specialist now at the center of the inquiry. Haroutunian did not respond to requests for comment.

Federal authorities have not publicly confirmed the investigation. The FBI declined to comment, and the Washington Post was the first outlet to report the existence of the probe.

Irsay served as owner of the Indianapolis Colts for nearly three decades, overseeing one of the franchise’s most successful eras, including a Super Bowl victory alongside quarterback Peyton Manning in 2007. Over the years, Irsay was candid about his lifelong battle with addiction, speaking openly about recovery, relapse, and treatment.

In a statement to ABC News, the Colts organization said it was aware of reports of an investigation but had not been contacted by federal authorities or served with subpoenas.

The case echoes growing federal scrutiny over the medical use of ketamine, particularly following the 2023 death of Matthew Perry. That investigation resulted in criminal charges against five individuals, including a doctor who was later sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for illegally distributing ketamine.

Sources stress that the investigation into Irsay’s death is still in its early stages. For now, questions continue to swirl around the treatment he received, the decision not to perform an autopsy, and whether any criminal wrongdoing occurred behind the scenes of one of the NFL’s most powerful owners’ final days.