Salvador Plasencia, the physician who supplied ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks leading up to his fatal overdose in 2023, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on Wednesday. As the sentence was read in a Los Angeles federal court, Plasencia apologized to Perry's family, confessing that he had breached his oath to care for the actor. "I failed Mr. Perry. I failed his family," he said. "I should have protected him."
Plasencia had pleaded guilty in July to four counts of ketamine distribution, though he did not administer the fatal dose. He was handcuffed and taken into custody by federal marshals. The judge, Sherilyn Peace Garnett, rejected a defense argument that Plasencia initially intended to treat Perry's depression, stating, "I don't find that rings true." She noted that Plasencia had sought "to exploit Mr. Perry's addiction for your own profit" and had obtained $55,000 during his brief relationship with Perry. If the case involved any other controlled substance, "we’d be looking at a lot more time," she added.
Karen Goldstein, Plasencia's defense lawyer, acknowledged that his decisions were "clouded by money." "It was a perfect storm of bad decision-making," she said.
Prosecutor Ian Yanniello pushed back on attempts to minimize Plasencia’s conduct. "He wasn't a negligent medical provider," Yanniello said. "He was a drug dealer in a white coat." Text messages between Plasencia and others revealed Perry's request for ketamine, with Plasencia commenting, "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
Perry's mother, Suzanne Morrison, addressed Plasencia directly during her victim impact statement. "This is my boy," she said. "I know how addicted he was. He survived it all... To be called a 'moron' — there's nothing moronic about that man... This was a bad thing you did." Madeline Morrison, Perry's half-sister, also spoke about the family's grief and said that Plasencia had exploited Perry's greatest fear and biggest weakness. "Celebrities are not just plastic dolls you can take advantage of," she said. "They're people."
Four other defendants who were also involved in Perry's death have yet to be sentenced.
