Doctor in Matthew Perry ketamine overdose case agrees to plead guilty
How did Ketamine lead to Matthew Perry's death?
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office revealed that actor Matthew Perry died from "acute effects of ketamine." But what is ketamine and how did it contribute to his death? Dr. Peter Chin-Hong joined LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss.
LOS ANGELES - One of the doctors charged with supplying "Friends" star, Matthew Perry, with ketamine, has agreed to plead guilty.
On Monday, Dr. Salvador Plasencia agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
The plea could carry a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
FILE - Actor Matthew Perry of the television show 'The Kennedys - After Camelot' speaks onstage during the REELZChannel portion of the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Langham Hotel on January 13, 2017 in Pasadena, Califor
Plasencia, woman accused of dealing ketamine to Matthew Perry
Dig deeper:
Plasencia had been scheduled to start trial in August. An email to his attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.
While Plasencia is accused of supplying the bulk of Perry’s ketamine in his final weeks, another defendant, Jasmine Sangha, who prosecutors allege was a major ketamine dealer, is alleged to have provided the dose that killed the actor. She is also scheduled to go to trial in August. She has pleaded not guilty — making her the only one of the five people charged in Perry’s death who has not entered a plea agreement.
Matthew Perry found dead
The backstory:
Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death.
He had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression that has become increasingly common.
Perry, 54, began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before the actor’s death, he found Plasencia, a doctor who in turn allegedly asked the other doctor, Mark Chavez, to obtain the drug for him, according to court filings in the Chavez case.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local. This story was reported from Los Angeles.