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Topics: Matthew Perry, Los Angeles
Phoebe Tonks
Topics: Matthew Perry, Los Angeles
The Los Angeles doctor who sold ketamine to Matthew Perry before his overdose death has been jailed for two and a half years.
Perry died at the age of 54 back in 2023 from the acute effects of ketamine, after struggling with addiction for much of his life.
The Friends actor was taking ketamine in order to treat his mental health, but he turned to Dr Salvador Plasencia when his usual doctors wouldn't supply him with the drug in the quantities he wanted.
Plasencia obtained the drug for Perry illegally and prior to his death Perry was injecting the drug six to eight times a day.
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Five individuals have faced charges over the actor's death and all have pleaded guilty, including another doctor Mark Chavez charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine and Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
Erik Fleming admitted to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, while a drug dealer dubbed the 'Ketamine Queen', Jasveen Sangha, who admitted to five charges including one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death or bodily injury.
Plasencia, 44, was the first of the five to be sentenced on Wednesday (December 3).
The medic, who also lost his medical license alongside Chavez, was described as 'a drug dealer in a white coat' in court.
Evidence showed that while seeking to supply Perry with ketamine, he texted Chavez: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
Perry's mother Suzanne said in court: "I knew how addicted he was year after year. But he survived it all only to be handed stuff and called a moron. There was nothing moronic about him."
At his sentencing on Wednesday, the judge emphasized that Plasencia didn’t provide the ketamine that killed Perry but did make it clear that he had played a key role in the actor’s death.
“You and others helped Mr. Perry on the road to such an ending by continuing to feed his ketamine addiction,” she said.
“You exploited Mr Perry’s addiction for your own profit.”
Plasencia addressed the court in tears, saying: "I should have protected him. I have to accept responsibility."
Plasencia was handed a custodial sentence following his guilty plea back in June to four counts of supplying ketamine.
He will now spend 30 months behind bars.
Perry’s two half sisters also gave tearful victim impact statements before the sentencing, including an emotional testimony from his sister Madeleine Morrison.
“The world mourns my brother,” she said. “He was everyone’s favorite friend.”
The other defendants implicated in Perry's death will be sentenced at their own hearings in the next few months.