A California doctor has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after admitting to supplying ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks before the ‘Friends’ star’s death last year.
Salvador Plasencia (44) became the first of five people convicted in connection with Perry’s 2023 overdose to be handed a prison term.
Plasencia, who ran an urgent care clinic in Calabasas, pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distributing ketamine. He did not administer the fatal dose himself, but prosecutors argued his actions contributed to the chain of events that led to Perry’s death in October 2023, at age 54. Perry was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home, with an autopsy confirming acute ketamine effects as the cause of death.
At his sentencing, Plasencia broke down in court, telling the judge: ‘I should have protected him. I have to accept responsibility.’ Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett imposed 30 months in federal prison to run concurrently, along with two years of supervised release and a $5,600 fine, as reported by ABC News.
Prosecutors highlighted that Plasencia exploited Perry’s vulnerability for profit, citing text messages in which he referred to the actor as a ‘moron’ and discussed how much he could charge. Despite these claims, Plasencia’s attorneys argued he was a doctor who made serious mistakes but acted out of misguided compassion.
They stressed that he did not provide the ketamine that ultimately killed Perry and maintained that he hoped his case would serve as a warning to other medical professionals.
Perry’s family delivered emotional statements in court, condemning Plasencia for betraying his duty as a physician. His mother, Suzanne Morrison, and stepfather, Keith Morrison, described him as one of the most culpable in the tragedy, saying he ‘sneaked through the night to meet his victim in secret’ and exploited their son’s vulnerability for profit.
Plasencia admitted to distributing 20 vials of ketamine and related products to Perry and his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, between late September and mid-October 2023. While Plasencia administered some doses himself, he left the rest with Iwamasa, who administered ketamine on the day Perry died.
The case also involves four other defendants. Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, is scheduled for sentencing in January 2026. Two others, Erik Fleming and Jasveen Sangha, nicknamed ‘The Ketamine Queen’, also pleaded guilty to distributing the ketamine that killed Perry, facing sentences ranging from 25 to 65 years. Another doctor, Mark Chavez, who supplied ketamine to Plasencia, will be sentenced later this month.
Plasencia has surrendered his medical licence and was immediately remanded to federal custody, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation surrounding the tragic death of the beloved actor.
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