Matthew Perry's Physician Receives 30-Month Prison Sentence

Salvador Plasencia, the ex-doctor who provided the fatal ketamine doses to Matthew Perry in the weeks leading up to the actors 2023 overdose, was sentenced on Wednesday, December 3, to 30 months in federal prison. Plasencia had admitted guilt to four counts of distributing ketamine to Perry before his passing.

The actor, best known for his role on Friends, died at age 54 due to the acute effects of ketamine. He was discovered unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles residence on October 28, 2023.

Before the sentencing, Plasencia expressed remorse in court, apologizing to Perrys family. I failed to protect a mothers son. I failed Mr. Perry. I failed his family, he stated. I should have protected him.

Following the conviction, Plasencia surrendered his medical license. Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett imposed the prison term along with two years of probation in a Los Angeles federal courtroom. The judge dismissed Plasencias defense that he had administered ketamine to address Perrys depression.

Court documents revealed that Plasencia exploited Perrys addiction. Text messages to another physician referred to Perry as a moron who could be taken advantage of for financial gain. Prosecutors noted that on the day Plasencia first met Perry, he reportedly told a co-conspirator: I wonder how much this moron will pay and lets find out.

Plasencias attorneys argued that he treated Perry recklessly, lacking proper knowledge of ketamine therapy and insufficient understanding of Perrys addiction. They described his actions as the biggest mistake of his life.

The charges carried a potential maximum sentence of 40 years, though prosecutors had requested a three-year term.

Four other individuals involved in the caseincluding another doctor, Perrys assistant who administered the drugs, and two suppliers of the fatal ketamine dosehave also pleaded guilty and await sentencing in the coming months.

In a victim impact statement, Perrys father and stepmother, John and Debbie Perry, addressed Plasencia: You dont deserve to hear our feelings. How you devastated our family, contributing to the loss of Matthew, our only son. A warm, loving man who was to be our rock as we aged. An uncle to our grandchildren and the mountain his siblings could turn to. They added that Perrys recovery depended on Plasencia having said NO.

Author: Noah Whitman