Matthew Perry’s doctor pleads guilty to ketamine distribution, will surrender medical licence
Matthew Perry‘s doctor, Salvador Plasencia, has pleaded guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution to the Friends star.
The actor was found unresponsive in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023, with his death at the age of 54 being attributed to the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning and coronary artery disease listed as other factors.
Appearing in court earlier this week, it was also confirmed that Plasencia will surrender his medical licence within the next 30-45 days, and he will remain free on bail pending his sentencing, according to Variety. He is set to be sentenced on December 3.
According to the Associated Press, prosecutors also detailed the circumstances underlying the charges before the plea, and acknowledged that Plasencia did not sell Perry the fatal dose.
He faces a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars, but is likely to receive far less than that under federal sentencing guidelines.
It comes after he agreed to a plea deal on four counts of distributing ketamine to Perry last month. In exchange, prosecutors dropped charges of falsifying medical records and additional counts of distribution.
Three other defendants – Erik Fleming, Kenneth Iwamasa and Mark Chavez – previously agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
The lone remaining defendant in the case, Jasveen Sangha – the so-called ‘Ketamine Queen’ who is accused of allegedly supplying Perry with ketamine – is scheduled to appear in court next month. Sangha has pleaded not guilty and claims she never met Perry.
Perry’s passing brought a wave of emotion from fans and co-stars. In January, fellow Friends actor Lisa Kudrow revealed she found a note from Perry in 2004, hidden in a cookie jar, that she had not discovered until recently.
Other Friends castmates also shared how his death affected them, with Courtney Cox saying she still talks to Perry daily, and Jennifer Aniston being brought to tears after a question about his passing.
Elsewhere, Maggie Wheeler – who famously starred as Janice in the show – recently said she believes she was visited by his spirit.
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Damian Jones
NME
