Doctor to be Sentenced for Role in Matthew Perry’s Death

Dec. 3 — A physician, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty this year for supplying ketamine to the late actor Matthew Perry, is set to be sentenced in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday.

Plasencia was among five individuals convicted in connection with Perry’s death from a ketamine overdose. The beloved “Friends” star, 54, was discovered unresponsive in the hot tub at his Pacific Palisades residence and could not be revived.

An autopsy revealed that Perry’s death was caused by a ketamine overdose, which he initially used to cope with depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, his usage escalated to the point where he was injecting the drug six to eight times daily in the weeks prior to his passing.

ABC News noted that Plasencia entered a guilty plea in June for four counts of distributing ketamine. He will be the first among the five to face sentencing, potentially facing up to 10 years in federal prison for each count during a hearing at 11 a.m. Pacific Time.

Plasencia ran an urgent care clinic in Malibu and admitted to collaborating with another doctor, Dr. Mark Chavez, to supply ketamine to Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. In his plea agreement, he acknowledged selling 20 vials and various packages of ketamine lozenges and syringes.

Doctors reportedly visited Perry at his home and administered ketamine injections at different locations. According to his plea agreement, Plasencia stated that he left a vial and lozenges with Iwamasa for Perry, even though he was aware that Iwamasa lacked the necessary training to do so.

Federal prosecutors claimed that Plasencia was motivated by profit, aiming to be Perry’s exclusive drug supplier. They noted that on the day he met Perry, he expressed his intentions to his co-conspirators by saying, “I wonder how much this idiot will pay,” indicating a clear profit motive.

Perry’s parents have submitted victim impact statements to the court ahead of Plasencia’s sentencing. In a letter shared with Rolling Stone, Suzanne and Keith Morrison referred to Plasencia as “the most culpable” individual involved in Perry’s death.

They reflected on the deep sadness they feel, asking, “How do you measure sadness? Is there a rational explanation?” They expressed how intertwined their lives were and noted that they fight tirelessly to protect their son, only for everything to collapse due to external factors.