Doctor charged in Matthew Perry's death pleads guilty to supplying ketamine to actor
In court, Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of illegal distribution of the prescription anesthetic ketamine and faces up to 40 years in prison. In June, Plasencia agreed to plead guilty to his role in the substance abuse that contributed to the "Friends" star's tragic death in 2023.
Also known as "Dr. P," Plasencia first signed a plea agreement on June 13 drafted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, according to a court document filed June 16 and obtained by USA TODAY.
Ketamine is a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties. It is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and anxiety, but is also abused by recreational users.
As part of the plea deal, Plasencia acknowledges that he "knowingly distributed ketamine" to Perry before his 2023 death, behaved in a manner "outside the scope of professional practice," and that the drug distribution lacked "a legitimate medical purpose."
Doctor who supplied Matthew Perry with ketamine to plead guilty, faces 40 years in prison
In addition to prison time, other conditions of Plasencia's sentence could also include a three-year period of supervised release, a fine of $2 million (or alternatively, "twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offenses") and a mandatory special assessment of $400.
In August 2024, Plasencia was charged alongside Jasveen Sangha, whom the Department of Justice previously referred to as "The Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood, and the pair faced 18 criminal counts for allegedly "distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actor's life."
Perry, best known for his role as the wisecracking Chandler Bing on "Friends," died in October 2023 at the age of 54 after the actor was found dead in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. The drug-related nature of Perry's death prompted a sweeping investigation in May 2024 by several U.S. agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
An autopsy report released in December 2023 revealed that Perry's death was an accident, with the cause being "the acute effects of ketamine." Contributing factors were drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine.
If you or someone you know needs help battling a substance abuse addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Contributing: Reuters
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