Two Years After His Death, Sentencing Has Begun In Matthew Perry’s Case
Beloved actor Matthew Perry died of an overdose on October 28, 2023, after being found unresponsive at his Pacific Palisades home. He was 54 years old. Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends.
Roughly six weeks later, the official cause of death for the actor was ruled to be the acute effects of ketamine. This anesthetic can be used for treatment-resistant depression and chronic pain when administered properly.
The autopsy revealed that Perry was receiving ketamine infusion therapy, and his latest treatment took place just a week and a half before his death. However, the coroner noted that “the ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine’s half-life is 3 to 4 hours or less.”
Additional contributing factors in his death were listed as drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder. The death was ruled accidental.
Five Individuals Arrested In Connection To The Actor’s Death
On August 15, 2024, the Department of Justice revealed that two doctors, the actor’s assistant, and two alleged dealers had been arrested in connection with Matthew Perry’s overdose.
Charges against the five individuals included conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine, and altering and falsifying documents or records relating to a federal investigation. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said:
“We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s tragic death. Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials.”
Doctor To Serve Time After Matthew Perry’s Overdose
On Wednesday, December 3, Santa Monica-based physician Dr. Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison, as reported by the L.A. Times. He pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distribution of ketamine. Additionally, his sentence includes two years of supervised release following his prison term, as well as a $5,600 fine.
It is alleged that Plasencia, who was aware of his patient’s history of drug addiction, prescribed ketamine to Perry at least seven times between September and October 2023. Prosecutors also stated that the doctor sold the drug to Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, despite being told one week prior that the actor’s addiction was “spiraling out of control.”
The indictment describes the distribution as “outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.”
Previously, text messages showed the physicians conspiring to sell the drugs to Perry and saying, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Reports indicate that they charged him $2000 per vial of ketamine while the cost to them was only $12.
Plasencia was immediately taken into custody following the sentencing. He was the first to be sentenced in the case. The remaining four are expected to follow. The lead defendant, Jasveen Sangha, is scheduled to be sentenced and could face up to 65 years in federal prison. Check back for updates as the case is ongoing.
