Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a 43‑year‑old Malibu urgent‑care physician, admitted in a Los Angeles federal courtroom Wednesday to four felony counts of illegally distributing ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks before the actor’s October 2023 death. He will remain free on bond until a December 3 sentencing hearing and faces as much as 40 years in prison, though prosecutors indicated advisory guidelines call for less.
Court records referenced by the Los Angeles Times describe Plasencia as “Dr. P,” a physician who sold thousands of dollars’ worth of injectable ketamine to Perry, sometimes administering doses in parked cars. Text messages introduced by federal agents show the doctor calling the “Friends” star a “moron” while boasting about profits, strengthening the government’s claim that the sales had no legitimate medical purpose.
Perry, 54, was found unresponsive in his Pacific Palisades hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023; an autopsy listed “acute effects of ketamine” as the primary cause of death. Investigators say the fatal dose was injected by Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, using vials obtained from Plasencia and an alleged supplier known as the “Ketamine Queen,” Jasveen Sangha, who has pleaded not guilty and is set for trial Aug. 19. Three additional defendants, including physician Mark Chavez, entered guilty pleas last year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gorin told the court the plea should send “a clear signal to any clinician tempted to traffic controlled substances under the guise of therapy.” Defense lawyer Rebecca Hines said Plasencia is “deeply remorseful” and will surrender his medical license within 45 days as part of the agreement. Addiction specialists note that while low‑dose ketamine is gaining acceptance for treatment‑resistant depression, federal guidelines warn it must be administered in closely monitored clinical settings—conditions Perry’s home infusions did not meet.
