Doctor to plead guilty in Matthew Perry ketamine case

A California doctor accused of illegally providing ketamine to actor Matthew Perry is expected to plead guilty to federal charges in the coming weeks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine outside the bounds of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Each count carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison, with a total possible sentence of 40 years. However, as of now, he has not yet formally entered a guilty plea in court.

The case stems from an investigation into the death of Matthew Perry, 54, who was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine with contributing factors including drowning, buprenorphine effects, and opioid toxicity.

The actor was best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom Friends and had publicly discussed his struggles with addiction and recovery.

According to the plea agreement filed in court, Plasencia—a licensed medical doctor who operated Malibu Canyon Urgent Care—delivered vials of ketamine and lozenges to Perry on multiple occasions between late September and mid-October 2023.

Plasencia also administered the drug directly to Perry in private settings and left additional doses with Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who lacked medical training.

The agreement also alleges that Plasencia obtained ketamine from Dr. Mark Chávez, another physician who has already pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute the drug.

Prosecutors say the two doctors exchanged text messages discussing how much they could charge Perry for the ketamine, according to an earlier report by BBC News. In one of the messages, Plasencia wrote, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”

While the ketamine that caused Perry’s fatal overdose was not supplied by Plasencia, prosecutors allege that he violated federal drug laws by distributing the controlled substance without proper medical oversight or legitimate purpose. The plea agreement also states that Plasencia provided altered and incomplete medical records in response to a subpoena during the federal investigation.

If the plea proceeds as expected, Plasencia will waive his right to appeal most aspects of the case and may face additional penalties, including fines, restitution to victims, loss of professional licenses, and potential immigration consequences.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it expects Plasencia to formally plead guilty in the coming weeks.