A DOCTOR has agreed to plead guilty to giving Matthew Perry ketamine before his tragic overdose, prosecutors have announced.
Dr Salvador Plasencia will now admit to four counts of distribution of ketamine and could be sentenced for up to 40 years.
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Perry was found floating face down and unresponsive in the hot tub of his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles on October 28, 2023.
His death was a result of from acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning, according to an autopsy report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
In August 2024, prosecutors announced the arrests of Plasencia, Erik Fleming, Jasveen Sangha, Mark Chavez and Kenneth Iwamasa.
Plasencia is said to have allegedly kept supplying drugs to Perry up to a point where the Friends star’s addiction worsened and he turned to street dealers to score ketamine for cheaper and quicker.
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Federal prosecutors said that in the weeks leading up to Perry’s death, he fell back into addiction, which “spiraled out of control” during the fall of 2023.
The doctors’ charges include one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine, and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation into Perry’s death.
Plasencia had initially pleaded not guilty to all charges but has reportedly agreed to change his plea now in exchange for his cooperation.
An official confirmation of the change is expected in the coming weeks after a trial was scheduled to start in August.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges Plasencia and four other defendants took advantage of Perry’s addiction as they sold and administered ketamine.
In late September 2023, Salvador and Chavez coordinated with Iwamasa, Perry’s assistant, to distribute ketamine to the beloved actor, 54.
In a text exchange between Plasencia and Chavez, the suspects discussed how much they were going to charge Perry, with Plasencia writing, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets [sic] find out.”
Between September and October 2023, Plasencia, Chavez, and Iwamasa distributed approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Perry, prosecutors said.
Plasencia and Chavez profited about $55,000, charging the actor $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost them $12.
Investigators said the two dishonest doctors “took advantage of Perry’s addiction to enrich themselves,” with Plasencia saying he “wanted to be Mr. Perry’s sole source of supply for drugs.”
On certain occasions, Plasencia injected Perry with ketamine and watched as the actor would “freeze and his blood pressure spike.”
Three other defendants have also agreed to plead guilty in exchange for their cooperation.
Sangha, who police claim was nicknamed “The Ketamine Queen of North Hollywood,” is now the only one charged who remains with a non guilty plea.
Perry struggled with addiction for years with it first becoming public during his time playing the iconic Chandler Bing on Friends.
He quickly shot to fame alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer up until the show ended in 2004.
Timeline of Matthew Perry’s case
HERE is a timeline on the progress of Matthew Perry’s case since his death:
- Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub by his assistant on October 28, 2023.
- He was pronounced dead at the scene after firefighters lifted him from the hot tub.
- Perry was 54 at the time of his death.
- His funeral was held at Forest Lawn cemetery in Hollywood Hills on November 3.
- On December 15, 2023, Perry’s death was ruled as an accident from the “acute effects of ketamine.”
- The Los Angeles Police Department launched a criminal investigation in December to determine how Perry obtained the drugs that took his life.
- The LAPD has since been working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Postal Inspection Service to re-trace the line of supply of the ketamine.
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