Federal authorities are reportedly investigating the death of longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, focusing in part on a California addiction doctor who allegedly treated him in the months before he died.
The Washington Post reported that the FBI is examining Harry Haroutunian, a California-based physician who is alleged to have prescribed pain medication and ketamine to Irsay leading up to his May 2025 death.
According to the outlet, investigators are seeking records related to Irsay’s history of substance use and his ties to Haroutunian. The report cites a federal grand jury subpoena issued from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in early January 2026.
Colts Chief Legal Officer Dan Emerson told the Post on Thursday, Jan. 22, that the organization was aware of the probe, but said federal authorities had not contacted the team directly.
“I do understand that there have been some subpoenas provided — but not to me, the Colts or any of our current employees,” he said, per the outlet.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(700x143:702x145):format(webp)/jim-irsay-011824-1-3f74d86d662446f69077904ebc657559.jpg)
According to the New York Times, Irsay died in a hotel room in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 21, 2025. He was 65.
In a statement at the time, the Colts said Irsay “passed away peacefully” in his sleep.
His death certificate later concluded that he died from heart issues and complications related to pneumonia. Irsay had previously spoken openly about struggling with opioid addiction.
The Washington Post reported that Haroutunian was treating Irsay at the hotel at the time of his death.
In an August exposé, the outlet said some people close to Irsay had become increasingly concerned about what they viewed as a return to active addiction in the final years of his life.
That report alleged Irsay overdosed three times in the last five years—once in February 2020 and twice in December 2023—and that he began receiving ketamine injections from Haroutunian in the last few months before his death.
The report also stated that Haroutunian signed Irsay’s death certificate and told police the death was due to natural causes.
“I dedicated 18 months of my life to try to care for him … as a brother,” Haroutunian told the Post last summer. “We did everything we could to make him as comfortable as possible.”
In a statement shared in August, Irsay’s daughters—Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson—said they “continue to grieve the loss of our Dad, a man defined not only by his role as owner of the Colts, but also by his resilience, his personal struggles, and his deep love for family, friends, and community.”
Addressing the Post report, they added: “We understand the public interest in his life and legacy. While we respect the role of responsible journalism, we decline to comment on the allegations in your inquiry. The media is not the place to address inquiries about information which is disputed, lacks essential context, or involves private medical matters. We ask for continued privacy as we move through this difficult time.”
Irsay inherited the Colts in 1997 after the death of his father, Robert Irsay, who bought the franchise in 1972 and moved it to Indianapolis in 1984.
The Washington Post also noted that The Indianapolis Star reported in 2002 on Irsay’s connection to a local plastic surgeon accused of overprescribing opioids, including to Irsay.
In 2020, Irsay launched Kicking the Stigma, an initiative aimed at encouraging more openness around addiction and mental health. He raised more than $25 million for the effort.
