The doctor who pleaded guilty in connection with Matthew Perry’s death has been sentenced to prison. Dr. Salvador Plasencia received a 30-month sentence, approximately 2.5 years, on Wednesday in an L.A. federal courthouse, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was taken into custody immediately after the hearing.
Plasencia pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distributing ketamine. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped five additional charges, including three more ketamine distribution counts and two counts of falsifying records.
As previously reported, Plasencia prescribed the ketamine that led to Perry falling unconscious and drowning in his hot tub in 2023.
For his sentencing, Plasencia appeared in a navy blue suit and looked grim as he made his way through a crowd of media outside the courthouse. Matthew Perry’s mother, Suzanne, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, were also present. In a victim impact statement, they condemned Plasencia as “greedy.”
Plasencia had originally been expected to surrender his medical license 30 to 45 days after entering his guilty plea. However, in a surprising move, federal authorities allowed him to reopen his medical practice in August under strict conditions. He was required to inform all patients of the ongoing federal investigation, obtain their consent for continued treatment, and was prohibited from prescribing controlled substances, including ketamine.
Federal prosecutors requested a 36-month sentence, while Plasencia’s attorneys argued that the damage to his reputation and future career prospects should be considered sufficient punishment.
Plasencia is the first individual sentenced in connection with Perry’s death, but more cases are still pending. Fellow Dr. Mark Chavez, Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, drug dealer Erik Fleming, and the so-called “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha have all pleaded guilty and are expected to receive their sentences in the coming weeks.
Source: TMZ