Dr. Salvador Plasencia has pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry, which led to his overdose death in 2023. Plasencia is now the fourth person to reach a plea agreement in connection with the actor’s death.
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As reported by the Associated Press, Plasencia, 43, who was to face trial in August, pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop three additional counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of falsifying records.
“Dr. Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry,” Debra White, Plasencia’s attorney, said in a statement following the plea hearing. “He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution.”
Plasencia could face up to 40 years in prison for his charges.
Ketamine Addiction
Prosecutors stated in court that, while Plasencia sold ketamine to Perry, he did not sell the dose that killed the actor. However, they did describe how Perry’s blood pressure spiked after a ketamine injection. Additionally, they described how the actor’s body “froze up” when given ketamine.
Plasencia acknowledged that he knew that Matthew Perry was an addict. Still, he gave him the surgical anesthetic to a man who had struggled with drug addiction since his days in Friends, where he portrayed the iconic Chandler Bing.
Reportedly, Plasencia turned over his license to prescribe controlled substances, but has been practicing medicine since being charged. He was required to inform his patients about his charges before treating them. Plasencia, however, will now surrender his medical license altogether.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia will be sentenced on December 3.
Plasencia is the fourth of five defendants to reach a plea agreement. Perry’s personal assistant, his friend, and another doctor have please guilty in exchange to help the U.S. Attorney’s Office case against the major targets, including Plasencia.
The only defendant left, the other major target, is Jasveen Sangha, also known as “The Ketamine Queen.” Allegedly, she was the one who sold Perry the dose that killed him. Her trial is set to begin in August, having pleaded guilty to her charges.
Matthew Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled ketamine as his primary cause of death.