A doctor is sentenced to 30 months for selling ketamine to actor Matthew Perry before his fatal overdose, as the first of five to face justice
LOS ANGELES: A doctor who supplied ketamine to “Friends” star Matthew Perry before his fatal overdose was sentenced to prison in California on Wednesday.
Salvador Plasencia, 44, was ordered to serve 30 months for selling the drug to the actor at grossly inflated prices in the months before Perry’s 2023 death.
He is the first of five people to be sentenced in connection with the actor’s death from acute effects of ketamine in his Los Angeles home.
In a victim impact statement, Perry’s mother Suzanne Perry and stepfather Keith Morrison said Plasencia had neglected his duty as a doctor.
“Matthew’s recovery counted on you saying NO,” they wrote.
Plasencia’s attorneys argued for probation, stating their client had surrendered his medical license and was filled with regret.
“He is not a villain. He is someone who made serious mistakes in his treatment decisions involving the off-label use of ketamine,” they said after sentencing.
Prosecutors presented text messages in which Plasencia mused about the prices he could charge the actor.
“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia wrote in one message.
Another doctor, Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty in October to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry.
Plasencia allegedly purchased ketamine from Chavez and resold it to the actor.
The four other individuals who have admitted supplying drugs to Perry will be sentenced in the coming months.
They include Jasveen Sangha, an alleged supplier to celebrities who could face up to 65 years in prison.
Perry’s live-in personal assistant and another man pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy charges.
The actor’s well-documented struggles with addiction shocked his global fanbase following his death at age 54.
An autopsy found high levels of the anesthetic ketamine in his system, prompting a criminal investigation.
Under a plea deal, Plasencia admitted visiting Perry’s home to inject ketamine and distributing 20 vials over two weeks in autumn 2023.
Perry had been using ketamine in supervised therapy for depression but prosecutors say he became addicted.
His role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends” brought fame and wealth but concealed a battle with painkillers and alcohol.
In his 2022 memoir, Perry described undergoing detox dozens of times over the years. – AFP
