The reverberations of Matthew Perry’s overdose death continued today with one of the doctors who supplied the Friends star with ketamine entering a long expected guilty plea to four counts of distribution.
Following up on a deal with the feds from last month, Dr. Salvador Plasencia showed up in Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett’s DTLA courtroom Wednesday morning to formally enter his plea. Saying little today beyond direct responses to the judge’s questioning, the Santa Monica physician, who called Perry a “moron” when the actor was his client, is looking at a long stretch behind bars once sentenced later this year.
“He will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count at his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for December 3,” Ciaran McEvoy of the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Central District of California. “He remains free on bond and has indicated through his lawyers that he intends to surrender his medical license within the next 30-45 days. We will have no further comment.”
To that, the lawyer for the soon-to-be ex-doctor did have a comment after this morning’s hearing concluded.
“Dr. Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry,” attorney, Debra White stated Wednesday. “He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution. Dr. Plasencia intends to voluntarily surrender his medical license, acknowledging his failure to protect Mr. Perry, a patient who was especially vulnerable due to addiction.”
The defendant could also end up paying over $1 million in fines under the plea deal with prosecutors. Having said that, the feds made it clear in their June plea deal announcement that the ketamine dose that killed Perry was not from Plasencia.
Perry’s died October 28, 2023 at the age of 54. His body was discovered in a hot tub at the rear of his Pacific Palisades home.
the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office in December of 2023 said that Perry, who had a long and very public battle with drugs and drinking, died from the “acute effects of ketamine.” An autopsy report additionally noted drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine — a drug used to treat opioid use disorder — as contributing to his demise. In May 2024, an LAPD spokesperson told Deadline that an open investigation into Perry’s death was underway with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
Of all the individuals named by authorities in Perry’s death, Plasencia’s plea today leaves only Jasveen Sangha, aka the “Ketamine Queen.” With a trial set to start next month, the not guilty pleading Sangha is up agaisnt charges of conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and more.
