A former physician who supplied ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry in the weeks before the actor died has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Salvador Plasencia, known to Perry as “Dr P,” appeared before a judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday and surrendered straight after the hearing. His mother broke down in court as he was handcuffed, which set the tone for a heavy and emotional day, reported the Los Angeles Times.
Plasencia was also given two years of supervised release. Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett did not hold back as she told him, “You and others helped Mr Perry stay on the road to such an ending by helping feed his ketamine addiction. You took a Hippocratic oath to do no harm, but you did harm.”
He had already pleaded guilty in July to four felony counts of ketamine distribution. He was one of five people charged last year in connection with Perry’s death in October 2023.
The sentencing hearing lasted nearly two hours, and Perry’s mother, stepmother and sisters spoke through tears about the loss that has shaped their lives. Suzanne Morrison looked at Plasencia and said she once believed her son “could never die.” She said, “This is my boy. I just want you to see his mother.” She told him plainly, “This was a bad thing you did.”
Plasencia broke down as well. “I failed Mr Perry. I failed him. I failed his family. I failed the community,” he said. “I should have protected him. It was my oath to protect him.” He spoke about having to explain it one day to his own two-year-old son, saying he did not protect “a mother’s son.” He turned towards Perry’s family again and said, “I’m sorry. I’m just so sorry.”
Prosecutors wanted a three-year sentence, though they acknowledged Plasencia did not provide the fatal dose. They said his behaviour still played a part in Perry’s downfall, noting what they called a blatant breach of trust. One prosecutor described him as “a drug dealer in a white coat.”
Plasencia’s legal team argued for supervised release instead. They said he had made terrible decisions driven partly by financial pressure and a belief he could earn quick money. After the hearing, his lawyers said he accepted the sentence with “humility and deep remorse.” They added that he had already surrendered his medical licence and insisted he was not a monster, just a doctor who made very serious mistakes. They said the choices he made over those 13 days with Perry would stay with him for life.
Perry’s parents shared powerful victim impact statements ahead of the hearing. His mother and stepfather wrote that Plasencia was “among the most culpable,” pointing out that no one could have missed how much Perry had struggled over the years. They accused the doctor of sneaking around to meet him in secret “for a few thousand dollars” while taking advantage of their son’s vulnerability.
Perry’s father and stepmother said their son’s recovery depended on Plasencia saying no. They asked, “What ever were you thinking?” and questioned how he believed supplying “countless doses” would end.
Several others charged alongside Plasencia have also pleaded guilty, including Perry’s former assistant and an alleged dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen.” Perry was found dead at 54 in his hot tub. The medical examiner said he died from the acute effects of ketamine, though the final dose was not supplied by Plasencia.
Court records say Plasencia had legally operated an urgent care clinic and was authorized to prescribe controlled substances. He was introduced to Perry in late September 2023 and admitted to exchanging messages with him about ketamine. He later turned to another doctor to source the drug. In messages, he joked about how much the actor might pay, calling him a “moron.”
In his letter to the judge, Plasencia admitted giving Perry treatment despite clear signs of addiction. He said he was desperate to keep his clinic afloat but accepted there was no excuse. He wrote, “I crossed lines that no doctor should ever cross. No one forced me to do this; it was my own poor judgment, and it was wrong.”
