The former Malibu doctor who supplied Matthew Perry with illicit ketamine in the weeks before the actor’s fatal overdose has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
Dr Salvador Plasencia admitted providing Perry with 20 vials of ketamine over a two-week period and travelling to the actor’s home late at night to administer the drug. US District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett also imposed two years of supervised release and a $5,600 fine.
Perry, 54, died in 2023 after the acute effects of ketamine. Prosecutors said Plasencia exploited the actor’s vulnerability and continued supplying the drug even after learning it was being given without medical supervision. They described his behaviour as an egregious breach of trust.
Plasencia’s lawyers argued he had made fatal errors and played only a limited role. The court also heard statements from Perry’s mother and stepfather, who called the doctor “the most culpable of all” those charged.
Prosecutors presented messages in which Plasencia appeared to discuss how much money he could extract from Perry. Four other defendants have pleaded guilty, including Jasveen Sangha, known as the ‘Ketamine Queen’, who will be sentenced in February.
Perry had long spoken openly about his struggles with addiction. His family said they hope the convictions deter those who exploit vulnerable patients.
