Doctor Who Sold Ketamine to Matthew Perry Sentenced to 30 Months

A California doctor, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for illegally selling ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks before the actor's death. He becomes the first of five people to be sentenced in the case.

Perry's death in 2023 prompted a multiyear federal investigation into how the actor obtained the dissociative anaesthetic through an underground Hollywood drug network. While prosecutors say Plasencia sold Perry large amounts despite knowing he was struggling with addiction, they stress he did not supply the dose that killed him.

Court filings reveal that Plasencia texted another doctor that Perry was a "moron" who could be exploited for money, a detail prosecutors described as emblematic of the defendant's motive. His lawyers portrayed him as a doctor who rose from poverty and cared for patients, arguing that a prison term was unnecessary.

Advocates for a harsher sentence pointed to the damage Perry's family suffered and urged accountability for those who supplied the drugs. The defense noted Plasencia has already lost his medical license, his clinic, and his career, while acknowledging remorse. The judge ultimately imposed the 30-month term.

Perry's family and attorneys said they will pursue accountability for the other people charged in the investigation, with the case scheduled to proceed against the remaining defendants in the coming months.

Cover image source: Doctor to be sentenced for selling Matthew Perry ketamine before ’Friends’ star’s overdose death 🔗

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