A physician who provided ketamine to “Friend” star Matthew Perry pleaded guilty to multiple drug charges related to the actor’s death Wednesday morning.
According to the prosecutor, Dr. Salvador Plasencia is known as Perry’s “Dr.”. Plasencia, 43, provided the drug to Perry through his field assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, one of three defendants who pleaded guilty to his Internet charges last year.
While Dr. Plasencia did not treat Mr. Perry at the time of his death, he hopes his case will warn other medical professionals and provide oversight and clear agreements for the rapidly growing ketosis industry to prevent dangerous industries like this,” said Karen L. Goldstein, his attorney.
Goldstein said her client was “very regretful” because of his role in providing ketamine to Perry, who was vulnerable due to his addiction history.
In addition to the plea agreement signed last month, doctors also agreed to waive their medical license within the next 30 to 45 days.
Plasencia will face up to 40 years in prison and a fine of $2 million. His voice was quiet during Wednesday’s hearing, and Sherilyn Peace Garnett asked him to waive his right to a jury trial.
Perry, 54, died from the acute effects of ketamine in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home in October 2023. Authorities say the final dose of the actor injected by Ivamasa was obtained from “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha, who pleaded not guilty to the August 19 trial date and set a trial date.
When prosecutors read out the charges, Plasensia repeatedly beat him in the face with cloth and detailed how he sold the drug to Perry for thousands of dollars, sometimes managed behind a car in the parking lot.
Plasencia will continue to bail until his defense attorney requested a Dec. 3 sentence, who argued that he was one of the main caregivers of his 2-year-old son.
His Calabasas Emergency Care Clinic remains open, requiring patients to sign exemptions to explain the allegations against him.
