A California doctor pleaded guilty on Wednesday to supplying actor Matthew Perry with ketamine before his death in 2023.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Perry, 54, was found dead in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. His death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine — leading to Salvador Plasencia’s arrest last August, along with another doctor, who pleaded guilty in October, as CrimeOnline reported.
While Perry was reportedly undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for anxiety and depression, he was illegally procuring the drug outside of medical settings.
An investigation determined that Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, injected him with the fatal dose of ketamine, which came from Jasveen Sangha. Iwamasa pleaded guilty while Sangha, who has pleaded not guilty, will stand trial in August.
Iwamasa allegedly told authorities that Perry met Plasencia, an urgent care doctor, weeks before his death. Iwamasa said Perry paid Plasencia as much as $55,000 for ketamine in the month leading up to his death, according to NBC.
Plasenscia allegedly told a patient about how Perry was very deep in his addiction. He was also accused of talking to another doctor, Mark Chavez, about how much money they could get from the actor.
“I wonder how much this moron will pay. Lets find out,” Plasencia reportedly wrote to Chavez, who pleaded guilty in October to providing ketamine to Perry.
Plasenscia will remain free on bail until his December 3 sentencing hearing. As part of a plea deal, he agreed to surrender his medical license within the next 30 to 45 days, The Los Angeles Times reported.
[Feature Photo: Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File]
