Doctor Pleads Guilty in Matthew Perry Overdose Case
In Los Angeles, a doctor admitted guilt on Wednesday for providing Matthew Perry with ketamine in the weeks leading up to the actor’s overdose death.
Dr. Salvador Placencia becomes the fourth individual out of five charged related to Perry’s death to plead guilty. Standing alongside his lawyer, he entered a plea on four counts, setting the stage for a trial concerning Sherilyn Peace Garnett in federal court.
At 43, Placencia was set to go to trial last month. However, he opted for a guilty plea regarding the distribution of ketamine.
During the proceedings, he responded only to the judge’s queries. When asked about his lawyers’ considerations regarding the plea, he said, “They thought everything.”
Previously, he had pleaded not guilty, but in a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to dismiss three extra counts of ketamine distribution and two charges of forging records.
The prosecutor laid out the case in court, clarifying that Placencia was not responsible for selling Perry the fatal dose, as stressed by his attorney. It was mentioned that Perry experienced seizures after one injection and had elevated blood pressure, but Placencia still left ketamine for Perry’s assistant to administer.
In court, Perry was only referred to as “victim MP.”
The charges have a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. While there’s no assurance that Placencia will receive a lighter sentence, he’s been free on bail since his August arrest and will remain out until his sentencing on December 3.
After the hearing, Placencia left without addressing the press waiting outside.
The only defendant yet to strike a deal with prosecutors is Jasveen Sangha, a drug dealer nicknamed the “queen of ketamine.” She’s accused of selling Perry a lethal dose and is scheduled to go on trial next month after pleading not guilty.
According to prosecutors and co-defendants who have reached agreements, Placencia illegally supplied Perry on October 28, 2023, roughly a month prior to his death. Text messages mentioned that Placencia might have been seeking financial gain, referring to the actor as “Silly.”
Perry’s assistant, a friend, and another physician previously entered guilty pleas last year, agreeing to cooperate with the government in their pursuit of stronger allegations against Placencia and Sangha. The specifics of those agreements haven’t been publicly disclosed.
Perry was discovered deceased by his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, with ketamine—as a substance typically used for sedation—identified as a primary factor in his death.
Perry had undergone various treatments involving the drug through his licensed doctors for depression, a practice that has gained traction. At age 54, he reportedly sought additional ketamine beyond what was provided.
In his plea deal, Placencia acknowledged that another patient linked him to Perry and that he had supplied the actor with 100 mg of ketamine along with lozenges and a syringe shortly before Perry’s demise.
Moreover, according to court records, Placencia enlisted another doctor, Mark Chavez, to help supply him with the medication.
Placencia purportedly texted Chavez after selling Perry the drug for $4,500, asking if he could continue providing for the actor, deeming it “good” for him.
Perry battled addiction for many years, regaining fame as Chandler Bing in “Friends.” He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer throughout the show’s ten-season run from 1994 to 2004.
