Matthew Perry’s Doctor Appeals Sentence

Matthew Perry’s doctor, who admitted to providing ketamine, has decided to appeal his sentence, positioning himself not just as a doctor but as a drug dealer. Dr. Salvador Placenia recently filed court documents claiming that the judge imposed an unfair punishment for breaking the trust typically associated with his medical role. He has requested the Ninth Circuit to reconsider his 30-month prison term.

Court records show that Plasencia pled guilty to four charges of distributing ketamine, indicating that Perry reached out to him not for legitimate medical treatment but to obtain the drug. His legal team contended that the judge should have regarded him more like a common drug dealer, rather than a doctor who violated patient trust.

Prosecutors noted that Placenia supplied ketamine to Perry in the weeks preceding his death, a claim he did not challenge. However, he argued that his sentence was harsher compared to other defendants like Mark Chavez and Eric Fleming, who were also implicated in the ketamine distribution.

Additionally, Plasencia objected to other elements of the ruling, suggesting that his lawyers faced improper double counting regarding allegations of falsifying records during the investigation into Perry’s death.

Perry had long been candid about his battles with addiction. Tragically, he was discovered dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles residence on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54.

Several individuals tied to Perry’s death have already pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing, including Jasveen Sangha, referred to by prosecutors as the “ketamine queen,” and Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.