A doctor who supplied ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry in the weeks before his death has pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges, becoming the fourth person convicted in connection with the actor’s fatal overdose.
Dr Salvador Plasencia, 43, entered guilty pleas to four counts of distributing ketamine at a federal court hearing in Los Angeles on Wednesday, admitting he supplied the drug to Perry despite knowing the actor was “spiralling” in addiction.
The physician faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on 3 December and has agreed to voluntarily surrender his medical licence.
Text Messages Revealed Exploitation
Court documents revealed Plasencia referred to Perry as a “moron” in text messages whilst discussing how much to charge the actor for the drug, writing to fellow doctor Mark Chavez: “I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let’s find out.”
Between 30 September and 12 October 2023, Plasencia distributed 20 vials of ketamine, lozenges and syringes to Perry and his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, charging up to £9,600 ($12,000) for single visits.
“Dr Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry,” his lawyer Karen Goldstein said in a statement. He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution.
Fatal Reaction Ignored
On 12 October 2023, just 16 days before Perry’s death, Plasencia administered ketamine at the actor’s Pacific Palisades home, causing Perry’s blood pressure to spike dangerously and his body to “freeze up,” according to court documents.
Despite witnessing this severe reaction, Plasencia left additional vials of ketamine with Iwamasa, knowing the assistant had no medical training and would continue injecting Perry with the drug.
The following day, Plasencia texted another person involved in the case saying, “Let’s not do that again,” but continued supplying ketamine to the actor.
Five Charged in Actor’s Death
Perry, 54, was found dead in his hot tub on 28 October 2023, with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determining he died from the “acute effects of ketamine” combined with drowning.
Five people were charged in connection with his death, including Plasencia, fellow doctor Mark Chavez, Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, middleman Erik Fleming, and alleged drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen.”
All except Sangha have now pleaded guilty to various charges. Sangha, who prosecutors say supplied the fatal dose, has pleaded not guilty and faces trial in August 2025.
Network Exploited Addiction
Prosecutors revealed how the defendants exploited Perry’s vulnerability, with the actor paying £44,000 ($55,000) for ketamine in his final month of life – drugs that cost his suppliers just £9.60 ($12) per vial.
One of Plasencia’s patients had introduced him to Perry on 30 September 2023, describing the actor as a “high profile person” who was “willing to pay cash and lots of thousands” for ketamine treatment.
Plasencia then contacted Chavez, who had previously operated a ketamine clinic, to obtain supplies. Chavez has already pleaded guilty and faces sentencing in September 2025.
Public Parking Lot Injections
Court documents detailed how Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry in increasingly reckless circumstances, including once in a parked car near an aquarium in Long Beach, California.
When Chavez learned of this incident, he “reprimanded” Plasencia for “dosing people in cars, and in a public place where children are present,” according to plea agreements.
Despite these warnings, Plasencia continued supplying the drug, teaching Iwamasa how to inject Perry and leaving vials at the actor’s home.
Assistant Administered Fatal Doses
Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty in August 2024, admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine multiple times on the day he died, including what Perry called “a big one” shortly before his death.
The assistant, who discovered Perry’s body in the hot tub, faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced on 19 November.
Fleming, who acted as a middleman, pleaded guilty to distributing 50 vials of ketamine to Perry – half delivered just four days before the actor’s death. He faces sentencing on 12 November.
Legitimate Treatment Became Deadly
Perry had been receiving legitimate ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, but his last clinical session was more than a week before his death – too long for the drug to remain in his system.
When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, Perry turned to what prosecutors called “unscrupulous doctors” and street dealers who saw him as an opportunity for profit.
The actor had been open about his decades-long struggle with addiction, detailing his battles in his 2022 memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”
Warning to Medical Professionals
Legal expert Rither Alabre, a former prosecutor, said the guilty pleas send “a strong message to drug dealers, as well as doctors and members of the medical community, that prosecutors are paying close attention and will vigorously prosecute these types of cases.”
Plasencia’s lawyer added that whilst her client was not treating Perry at the time of his death, “he hopes his case serves as a warning to other medical professionals and leads to stricter oversight and clear protocols for the rapidly growing at-home ketamine industry.
The case has highlighted the dangers of ketamine’s increasing use as an off-label treatment for depression, particularly when medical professionals exploit vulnerable patients.
“Ketamine Queen” Awaits Trial
Sangha, 41, remains in custody awaiting trial on charges including conspiracy to distribute ketamine and maintaining a drug-involved premises. If convicted on all charges, she faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and could receive life in prison.
Prosecutors allege Sangha ran what amounted to “a drug selling emporium” from her North Hollywood home, where agents found approximately 79 vials of ketamine and 1.4 kilograms of orange pills containing methamphetamine.
Her lawyer Mark Geragos has disputed the “Ketamine Queen” nickname and maintains his client never knew Perry personally, calling the prosecution’s theory “very aggressive and ambitious.”
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