Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a Malibu-based physician and urgent care clinic owner, has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges for distributing ketamine that led to the death of actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit NBC series Friends.
According to a plea agreement filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Dr. Plasencia will plead guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution, offenses that carry a combined maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors allege that Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry at his Los Angeles residence and supplied additional vials and lozenges through Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Between September 30 and October 12, 2023, Plasencia delivered 20 vials of ketamine and other paraphernalia to Perry and Iwamasa. The agreement states that these actions were not conducted for a legitimate medical purpose and fell below the proper standard of care.
The charges are part of a broader investigation into the actor’s death, which occurred in October 2023. In addition to Plasencia, authorities have charged Dr. Mark Chavez—who allegedly supplied the ketamine to Plasencia—and Iwamasa, both of whom have already pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors also identified Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” as another alleged supplier. She has pled not guilty and is scheduled for trial in August.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reports that Perry paid approximately $55,000 to Plasencia and Chavez in the two months leading up to his death.
No hearing date has yet been scheduled for Plasencia’s plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bilal A. Essayli, Christina T. Shay, Ian V. Yanniello, and Haoxiaohan Cai. Plasencia is represented by attorneys Debra S. White and Karen L. Goldstein.
