The primary physician implicated in the drug overdose of actor Matthew Perry is anticipated to enter a guilty plea in the upcoming weeks, according to the US Justice Department.
Salvador Plasencia “has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison,” the department stated in a release.
The second physician involved, Mark Chavez, admitted guilt last October to conspiring to distribute ketamine in the weeks leading up to the actor’s discovery in the hot tub of his Los Angeles residence in 2023.
Matthew Perry’s prolonged battles with substance addiction were widely recognized, but his passing at the age of 54 left a profound impact on the entertainment industry.
Dr. Plasencia is accused of purchasing ketamine from Chavez and reselling it to the American-Canadian actor at significantly inflated rates.
Mark Chavez confessed to charges of conspiring to distribute ketamine last October.
“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Dr. Plasencia texted in a message shown by prosecutors.
He reportedly visited Mr. Perry’s home to administer ketamine via injection, as per a plea agreement released by the Justice Department.
In total, Dr. Plasencia distributed 20 vials of ketamine over approximately a two-week timeframe in the fall of 2023, according to official documents.
Mr. Perry had been using ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression.
However, prosecutors allege that prior to his death, he developed an addiction to the substance, which also has psychedelic effects and is a popular recreational drug.
Dark struggle
A total of five individuals have been charged in connection with Mr. Perry’s demise.
Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the ‘Ketamine Queen’ for supplying drugs to affluent clients and celebrities, is accused of providing the fatal dose to Mr. Perry. She has pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Perry’s live-in personal assistant and another associate pleaded guilty last August to conspiracy charges related to the distribution of ketamine.
Mr. Perry gained fame as Chandler Bing on the hit television series Friends, yet he faced challenges with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
In 2018, he experienced a drug-related ruptured colon and underwent several surgeries.
In his 2022 memoir, *Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing*, Mr. Perry recounted undergoing detoxification numerous times.
“I have mostly been sober since 2001,” he stated, “except for about 60 or 70 little mishaps.”
