On Wednesday, Dr. Salvador Plasencia admitted his guilt in a case tied to the tragic accidental overdose of Matthew Perry in 2023, marking a significant development in a series of legal proceedings aimed at those who supplied the beloved "Friends" actor with excessive quantities of ketamine. Last month, Plasencia consented to plead guilty to four counts of distributing the substance, and a formal hearing was held in federal court to address the matter. The presiding judge ruled that Plasencia would remain free on bail until his sentencing hearing scheduled for December 3rd.
According to an agreement reached with prosecutors, Plasencia faces a maximum penalty of 40 years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he is liable for a fine of at least $2 million. In a statement issued on his behalf, his legal representatives revealed that Plasencia has voluntarily decided to relinquish his medical license, acknowledging his failure to safeguard Perry, a particularly vulnerable patient battling addiction.
"Dr. Plasencia deeply regrets the treatment decisions he made while administering ketamine to Matthew Perry," the statement emphasized.
Perry was discovered deceased at his Pacific Palisades residence in Los Angeles on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the cause of death as accidental, due to the acute effects of ketamine. Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to combat depression and anxiety; however, an investigation uncovered that he had been illegally obtaining the drug outside of his prescribed treatment plan.
Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's personal assistant, was among the five individuals charged in connection with his death. Iwamasa pleaded guilty the previous year, and court documents in his case exposed the extent of Perry's uncontrolled addiction. Iwamasa informed authorities that Perry was introduced to Plasencia mere weeks before his demise, and that Plasencia sold him both liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges. Furthermore, despite lacking any medical training, Plasencia instructed Iwamasa on how to administer the drug to Perry.
Iwamasa's plea agreement disclosed that Perry had paid Plasencia up to $55,000 for ketamine in the month preceding his death. Federal prosecutors alleged in court documents that Plasencia had told a patient that Perry was "too far gone and spiraling in his addiction," yet he continued to sell him drugs regardless. Text messages exchanged between Plasencia and Mark Chavez, a former doctor who also pleaded guilty in the Perry case, revealed their callous mocking of the amount of money they could extort from Perry for ketamine.
"I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia wrote. "Let's find out."
