THE RUNDOWN:
- California doctor Salvador Plasencia has plead guilty to illegally supplying actor Matthew Perry with prescription anaesthetic ketamine in the weeks leading up to his death
- Plasencia acted alongside Doctor Marc Chavez, fraudulently obtaining medical ketamine and supplying and administering it to the actor
- The admission has been made as part of a plea deal that carries a maximum sentence of 40 years
- Plasencia is the fourth person, out of five charged, to plead guilty in the case
A California doctor by the name of Salvador Plasencia has pleaded guilty to supplying Friends actor Matthew Perry with prescription anaesthetic ketamine in the weeks that led up to Perry’s overdose.
Salvador Plasencia was one of five people charged in relation to Matthew Perry’s death in October 2023. The charges included four counties of illegally distributing ketamine, and the doctor faces up to 40 years in prison according to prosecutors.
What Is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a short-acting anaesthetic that has hallucinogenic properties. It is a legal treatment for several health issues in the United States and globally, most commonly depression and anxiety. But, it is also a controlled substance and its sale for recreational use is prohibited.
What Was Dr Salvador Plasencia Actually Charged With?
According to The Chicago Sun Times Plasencia confessed to four counts of distribution of ketamine as part of a plea agreement. In exchange, several other charges including three distribution counts and two counts of falsifying records will be dropped. The deal carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, although sentencing guidelines typically result in lower term sentences.
What Did Prosecutors Allege Happened Between Matthew Perry and Salvador Plasencia?
As per The Economic Times, federal filings allege Plasencia personally administered ketamine to Perry outside clinical settings. Plasencia has admitted to visiting the actor’s home and injecting Perry with ketamine for non-medical purposes and revisiting him in a Santa Monica parking lot.
Prosecutors alleged that the doctor left additional doses with the actor’s assistant to use without medical guidance. They alleged that following the administration of one injection, Perry froze, and his blood pressure spiked. Despite this, Dr Plasencia left additional ketamine with the actor’s assistant for personal use.
Plasencia operated in an urgent care clinic and was obtaining the drug from another doctor named Mark Chavez. According to the United State’s Attorney’s Office Chavez obtained ketamine diverted from his former ketamine clinic, and additionally obtained under false pretenses to a wholesale ketamine distributor and submitting fraudulent prescriptions under the name of a former patient. Plasencia did not provide the fatal dose of ketamine that caused Perry’s death. Still, he did supply the actor with 20 vials of ketamine, ketamine lozenges and syringes for about a month preceding the actor’s death on October 28, 2023.
Investigations allege that he and another doctor were financially exploiting Perry’s addiction by selling the drug at an inflated price. Court records showed that Plasencia referred to Perry as a “moron” in a text exchange with Chavez. “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” he wrote. The pair were charging Perry $4,500 US and discussed ways to make him a regular customer.
Who Else Was Charged In Relation To Matthew Perry’s Death?
Perry’s personal assistant, a friend and another doctor have pleaded guilty as part of the federal investigation. The remaining defendant, Jasveen Sangha who has been referred to as “the ketamine queen” has denied charges of supplying Perry with the lethal final dose.
The other defendants include:
- Kenneth Iwamasa: Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, was a personal assistant. He was accused of injecting Perry despite having no medical qualifications. According to CNN he made the first enquiries about Ketamine supply in late September 2023.
- Dr Mark Chavez: Chavez, 54, received a medical degree in 2004 and advertises “tailored health services.” He was affiliated with the clinic Dreamscape Ketamine until he had a falling out with his business partner in July 2023 and left the business with all of the prescription drugs. He has plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
- Erik Fleming: Flemin, 54, distributed the ketamine that killed Perry. He met Perry throuh a mutual friend.
- Jasveen Sangha: JHasveen Sangha is referred to by authorities as “the Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood and is alleged to have run a “drug selling emporium” in her home. She has plead not guilty.
What Happened To Matthew Perry?
Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the much loved series Friends, struggled with addiction for several decades and was using ketamine as an off-label treatment for depression. According to The Economic Times, Perry’s regular doctor identified that he may have an issue with the substance and restricted his prescription, at which point he turned to Plasencia.
On October 28 Perry was found dead by his assistant, a medical examiner ruled the actor died from the “acute effects of ketamine” and subsequent drowning. Perry had detailed a decades long struggle with drugs and US Attorney Martin Estrada determined the actor had “[fallen] back into addiction” and been taken advantage of by the defendants.
Help Is Available:
If you are struggling with addiction or know someone who is you can contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for confidential support, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
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