A doctor at the center of the investigation into Matthew Perry’s tragic death is now preparing to plead guilty. Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who allegedly supplied the late Friends star with ketamine in the weeks leading up to his fatal overdose, has agreed to plead guilty to four federal charges.
According to a signed plea agreement filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Plasencia admitted to illegally distributing the powerful anesthetic without proper authorization.
Doctor Who Supplied Ketamine to Matthew Perry Will Plead Guilty
As part of the deal, federal prosecutors will drop three more distribution charges and two charges related to falsifying records. The plea deal could carry a sentence of up to 40 years in prison. Prosecutors said Plasencia is expected to enter his plea in the coming weeks formally.
Shocking details have emerged in court documents, including a text message Plasencia sent to another doctor, Mark Chavez, in which he referred to Matthew Perry as a “moron” who could be exploited for money. Chavez has also pleaded guilty and admitted to helping Plasencia obtain and distribute the drug.
Inside the Ketamine Supply That Killed Perry
Perry, who had been undergoing ketamine therapy for depression through legal channels, began looking for larger doses. According to Plasencia’s plea agreement, another patient connected him with Perry about a month before the actor’s death. Plasencia then illegally provided Perry with 20 vials of ketamine, lozenges, and syringes, totaling 100 mg.
He admitted to visiting Perry’s home twice to personally inject him and left behind additional drugs, even teaching Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, how to administer the shots. Iwamasa later received more ketamine from Plasencia and has also pleaded guilty.
Plasencia coordinated with Chavez to obtain the ketamine, allegedly selling it to Perry for $4,500 and suggesting they become his “go-to” suppliers.
Perry, 54, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled a ketamine overdose as the primary cause. Prosecutors claim that Jasveen Sangha, another defendant and alleged dealer, supplied the final fatal dose. She is the only one of the five accused who has not entered a plea deal and remains in custody.
Plasencia is out on bond and awaits sentencing. Perry had long struggled with addiction, dating back to his rise as Chandler Bing on NBC’s Friends.
