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

Virginia Senate Moves to Eliminate Billion-Dollar Tax Break for Data Centers, Sparking Economic Debate

Virginia’s data centers could soon face new financial obligations, as recent developments…

Asian Markets Surge: Nvidia’s Stellar Earnings Spark Investor Optimism

HONG KONG – Thursday’s financial landscape presented a mixed bag, with U.S.…

Tusculum University Invites the Public to Explore the Future of AI at Upcoming Summit

Tusculum University is set to host the Appalachian AI Summit, inviting community…

Daytona Beach Police Report: 8-Year-Old Detained for Allegedly Brandishing Firearm in Park Incident

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Authorities in Daytona Beach took an 8-year-old boy…

FedEx Pledges to Pass On Trump Tariff Refunds to Customers, Boosting Consumer Confidence

NEW YORK – FedEx announced on Thursday its commitment to refund any…

Atlanta Hawks to Host Magic City Tribute Night Featuring Lemon Pepper Wings, T.I., and Exclusive Merchandise

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks are gearing up for an intriguing event…

Elizabethton Police Launch Manhunt for Six Suspects in Bemberg Vandalism Case

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. — Authorities in Elizabethton are probing a suspected vandalism case…

Unveiling the Altamonte Springs Gold Bar Scam: Local Business Under Investigation

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — An Altamonte Springs company is currently under scrutiny…

Mexico’s Disappeared: A City’s Silent Protest and Families’ Fight Against Erasure

GUADALAJARA – In Mexico’s bustling second-largest city, the streets tell a poignant…