Crime & justice

Doctor Pleads Guilty in Matthew Perry Ketamine Death Case

Published JUN 17 2025

Story

Above: Matthew Perry on Feb. 8, 2016 in London, England. Image credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images

The Facts

Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution in connection with Matthew Perry's October 2023 overdose death, facing a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison and a $2 million fine.
The New York Times
Daily Mail
Perry was found dead in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023, at age 54, with the Los Angeles County medical examiner ruling ketamine as the primary cause of death and drowning as a secondary factor.
guardian
The Telegraph
The Times (UK)
Plasencia reportedly distributed 20 vials of ketamine, ketamine lozenges, and syringes to Perry and his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa between Sept. 30 and Oct. 12, 2023, charging $55,000 for treatments in Perry's final month.
NBC
The Telegraph
Text messages revealed Plasencia reportedly asked Dr. Mark Chavez "I wonder how much this moron will pay" when discussing Perry's willingness to pay cash for ketamine treatments, with the doctors meeting to exchange at least four vials.
Sky News
guardian
Four of five defendants have now pleaded guilty in the case, with only alleged ketamine dealer Jasveen Sangha, known as the "Ketamine Queen," maintaining her not-guilty plea and scheduled for trial in August.
GB News
ABC News
Perry had been receiving legal ketamine treatments for depression from his regular doctor but began seeking additional amounts, with Plasencia administering injections at Perry's home and in public locations.
ABC News
Daily Mail
BBC News

Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

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CRIT

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The Spin

Narrative A

Dr. Plasencia allegedly betrayed his sacred oath, viewing a vulnerable recovering addict not as a patient deserving compassion, but as a profit opportunity. His callous text reveals a physician who abandoned healing for greed, ultimately contributing to a beloved actor's tragic demise.

CNN

Narrative B

These prosecutions offer hollow comfort — mere theater masquerading as justice. While Dr. Plasencia faces charges, addiction's cruel machinery churns on unchanged. Perry would have found other suppliers; demand never dies with dealers. True healing requires treating addiction's roots, not punishing its symptoms with performative arrests.

MS Now