Doctor who supplied ketamine to Matthew Perry and called him a ‘moron’ will plead guilty
Share this @internewscast.com

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A physician accused of administering ketamine to Matthew Perry during the month preceding the “Friends” actor’s overdose death is set to plead guilty, as per a court agreement submitted on Monday.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia has consented to enter a guilty plea for four charges of ketamine distribution, as indicated by the filed document in the Los Angeles federal court. In return for his plea, the prosecution has agreed to dismiss three other ketamine distribution charges along with two charges of record falsification.

According to a statement from federal prosecutors, the guilty plea could result in a maximum of 40 years imprisonment. It is anticipated that Plasencia will officially submit his guilty plea in the forthcoming weeks.

According to a co-defendant, Plasencia in a text message called the actor a “moron” who could be exploited for money. The physician had been one of the primary targets of the prosecution, along with a woman accused of being a ketamine dealer. Three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation.

Plasencia and the woman, Jasveen Sangha, had been scheduled to face trial in August. An email to his attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.

Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death.

The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him.

Plasencia admitted in his plea agreement that another patient connected him with Perry, and that starting about a month before Perry’s death, he illegally supplied the actor with 20 vials of ketamine totaling 100 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes.

He admitted to enlisting the other doctor, Mark Chavez, to supply the drug for him, according to the court filings.

“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, according to Chavez’s plea agreement. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between the Los Angeles area where Plasencia practiced and San Diego, where Chavez practiced, and exchanged several vials of ketamine, the filings said.

After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry’s “go-to,” prosecutors said.

Plasencia admitted to visiting Perry’s house twice and injecting him with ketamine. He also left ketamine behind and showed Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, how to inject it, according to Iwamasa’s plea agreement. The doctor later met up with Iwamasa and gave him more ketamine for Perry, according to the document.

Perry was also getting ketamine from another source, Sangha, who prosecutors allege was a major dealer and supplied the dose that killed the actor.

Sangha has pleaded not guilty — making her the only one of the five people charged in Perry’s death who has not entered a plea agreement. She remains jailed as she awaits trial. Plasencia was freed on bond after his initial court appearances.

Erik Fleming, a friend of Perry who said he acted as a middleman and drug messenger, has also pleaded guilty and has been cooperating with prosecutors.

None of the defendants has yet been sentenced. Plasencia’s plea deal makes no specific sentencing guarantees.

Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Catch Trump’s National Address

() President Donald Trump addressed the nation and the world during a…

Virginia Woman Arrested in Connection with Hit-and-Run Death of Netflix Star

A Virginia woman was brought before the court on Saturday due to…

Israeli-Supported Organization Requests $30 Million from the US to Help Gaza

WASHINGTON – A coalition led by the U.S. has requested the Trump…

Historic Georgia Girl Scouts Welcome Troops Nationwide for a Special Bridging Ceremony

SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Girl Scouts from all over the United States…

Residents of Brandon Wilde Celebrate the Summer Solstice

EVANS, Ga. – Families at Brandon Wilde Senior Living observed the summer…

Pro-Trump MAGA Influencers Rally Support for Him Following U.S. Airstrikes on Iran

The MAGA movement’s top influencers were divided over bombing Iran until President…

LA Mayor Criticizes Vance’s Visit, Calling It a ‘Photo-Op’ and ‘Insulting’

(The Hill) Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) called Vice President Vance’s…

Ocala Resident Dies in Marion County Accident, According to FHP

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – An 81-year-old Ocala man was killed in a…

How Senate Republicans Propose Modifying Tax Benefits in Trump’s Legislation

WASHINGTON (AP) House and Senate Republicans are taking slightly different approaches when…

WJBF Supports Local Nonprofit During Nexstar Founders Day of Caring

AUGUSTA, Ga. () – It’s an important day for us at . …

Exploring the Life of the NWSL’s Youngest Player: Trophies, Board Games, and Apple Cider

“I am always striving to improve, not just physically, but also mentally…

Zelenskyy Reports Ukraine Received Over 20 Russian Soldiers’ Bodies in Recent Swaps

KYIV – Ukraine’s president mentioned that Russia sent back at least 20…