Federal authorities are investigating the death of longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, the probe centers on the circumstances surrounding Irsay’s passing in May 2025 and the medical care he received in the final months of his life.
As part of the inquiry, investigators are examining the role of Dr. Harry Haroutunian, a California-based addiction specialist who treated Irsay during a relapse and prescribed him prescription pain medications and ketamine.
Haroutunian was reportedly overseeing Irsay’s care while both were staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Irsay died on May 21, 2025, at the age of 65.
Colts Chief Legal Officer Dan Emerson confirmed awareness of the investigation but said the organization has not been directly contacted by federal authorities.
“I do understand that there have been some subpoenas provided, but not to me, the Colts or any of our current employees,” Emerson told The Washington Post, declining to comment further.
In a separate statement, the Colts echoed that position, saying, “We are aware of the investigation, but at this time, we’ve not been contacted by the FBI or been served with any subpoenas.”
Haroutunian did not respond to requests for comment.
Haroutunian signed Irsay’s death certificate, listing the cause of death as cardiac arrest stemming from pneumonia and heart issues. No autopsy was performed. The Los Angeles County medical examiner previously determined the death was not sudden or unexpected.
The investigation follows an extensive Washington Post report published last summer that detailed concerns raised by people close to Irsay about a relapse in his long-documented struggle with addiction.
The report cited images of prescription pill bottles showing that more than 200 pills were prescribed to Irsay shortly before two overdoses in 2023, one of which resulted in a four-month hospitalization.
According to multiple witnesses quoted by the paper, ketamine was later added to his treatment plan.
Irsay was one of the NFL’s most visible owners. He joined the Colts’ front office shortly after the franchise moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, became the league’s youngest general manager in 1984, and assumed ownership in the late 1990s.
Under his leadership, the Colts won Super Bowl XLI and became a perennial playoff team.
Public about his recovery journey, Irsay also championed mental health awareness through the Colts’ Kicking the Stigma initiative.
