Main doctor charged in actor Matthew Perry overdose to plead guilty

The main physician implicated in the drug overdose death of Friends star Matthew Perry is expected to plead guilty to multiple federal charges in the coming weeks, according to a statement released Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution, each carrying a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. Prosecutors allege he sold the powerful anesthetic to Perry at inflated prices and administered it by injection at the actor’s home in Los Angeles.

Plasencia’s involvement is the latest development in the criminal case surrounding the 2023 death of Perry, whose role as Chandler Bing on the iconic sitcom Friends won him international fame. The 54-year-old actor, who had long battled substance addiction, was found dead in the hot tub of his residence. An autopsy later revealed dangerously high levels of ketamine in his system.

According to a plea agreement made public on Monday, Plasencia distributed 20 vials of ketamine over a two-week span in the autumn leading up to Perry’s death. Prosecutors say Plasencia sourced the drug from a second physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, who pleaded guilty last October to conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Court documents include text messages from Plasencia showing he was aware of Perry’s celebrity status and willing to exploit it. In one message, he allegedly remarked, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” in reference to the actor.

Though Perry was undergoing supervised ketamine therapy for depression at the time, investigators say he had developed an addiction to the drug, which is also used recreationally for its dissociative and psychedelic effects.

In total, five individuals face charges in the case. Among them is Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” who is accused of supplying the fatal dose and has pleaded not guilty. Perry’s personal assistant and another man pleaded guilty in August 2023 to conspiracy charges linked to the drug distribution network.

Matthew Perry’s death sent waves of grief through his fanbase and the entertainment industry. Known for his quick wit and vulnerability both onscreen and off, Perry had openly chronicled his decades-long struggle with substance abuse, including a near-death experience in 2018 from a drug-related colon rupture.

In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry wrote candidly about his ongoing efforts to stay sober, revealing he had relapsed “sixty or seventy” times since 2001.

His legacy remains marked by both his comedic brilliance and his candid advocacy for addiction recovery. The legal proceedings now underway offer a deeper look into the events leading up to his untimely death.