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A doc who pleaded blameworthy to selling ketamine to Matthew Perry successful the weeks earlier the “Friends” star’s overdose decease is acceptable to beryllium the archetypal of 5 radical sentenced successful the lawsuit connected Wednesday (December 3, 2025).
Perry’s household and perchance others affected by his decease volition person a accidental to marque a connection successful national tribunal successful Los Angeles earlier the sentencing of Dr. Salvador Plasencia.
Prosecutors are asking U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett to condemnation Dr. Plasencia, 44, to 3 years successful situation aft a plea statement wherever the doc admitted to illegally selling Perry ample amounts of ketamine. He was not accused of selling the histrion the dose that investigators accidental killed him connected October 28, 2023.
Perry had been taking the surgical anaesthetic ketamine legally arsenic a attraction for depression. But erstwhile his regular doc wouldn’t supply it successful the amounts helium wanted, helium turned to Dr. Plasencia, who admitted to illegally selling to Perry contempt knowing helium was a struggling addict. He texted different doc that Perry was a “moron” who could beryllium exploited for money, according to tribunal filings.
“Rather than bash what was champion for Mr. Perry — idiosyncratic who had struggled with addiction for astir of his beingness — suspect sought to exploit Perry’s aesculapian vulnerability for profit,” the prosecution’s sentencing memo said.
Dr. Plasencia’s lawyers tried to springiness a sympathetic representation of him successful their memo, arsenic a antheral who roseate retired of poorness to go a doc beloved by his patients, immoderate of whom provided testimonials astir him for the court.
The attorneys called his selling to Perry “reckless” and “the biggest mistake of his life.”
“Remorse cannot statesman to seizure the pain, regret and shame that Mr. Plasencia feels for the calamity that unfolded and that helium failed to prevent,” the memo said.
But, the lawyers wrote, “a condemnation of imprisonment is neither indispensable nor warranted. He has already mislaid his aesculapian license, his clinic, and his career. He has besides been viciously attacked successful the media and threatened by strangers to the constituent wherever his household has moved retired of authorities for their safety.”
Dr. Plasencia’s lawyers said helium has moved to Arizona with his woman and 2-year-old son, for whom helium is simply a loving caretaker.
“I privation him to beryllium arrogant of his father,” Dr. Plasencia said successful a video helium and his lawyers made for the judge. “I made mistakes, but I privation him to cognize that I tried to marque amended choices aft my mistakes.”
Dr. Plasencia pleaded blameworthy successful July to 4 counts of organisation of ketamine. Prosecutors agreed to driblet 5 antithetic counts. The statement came with nary sentencing guarantees, and legally Garnett tin springiness him up to 40 years.
Perry’s parent Suzanne Perry and his stepfather, “Dateline” writer Keith Morrison, person attended erstwhile hearings. They could beryllium among those fixed a accidental to talk earlier Dr. Plasencia is sentenced.
The different 4 defendants who reached deals to plead blameworthy volition beryllium sentenced astatine their ain hearings successful the coming months.
Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating backmost to his clip connected “Friends,” erstwhile helium became 1 of the biggest stars of his procreation arsenic Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 connected NBC’s megahit.
