Doctor who gave Matthew Perry ketamine, called him a 'moron,' to plead guilty

LOS ANGELES -- A doc charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine successful the weeks starring up to the "Friends" star's overdose decease is expected to plead blameworthy Wednesday.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia would beryllium the 4th of 5 radical charged successful transportation with Perry's decease to plead guilty.

Plasencia was to person gone connected proceedings successful August until the doc agreed past period to plead blameworthy to 4 counts of organisation of ketamine, according to the signed papers filed successful national tribunal successful Los Angeles.

He had antecedently pleaded not guilty, but successful speech for the blameworthy pleas prosecutors person agreed to driblet 3 further counts of organisation of ketamine and 2 counts of falsifying records.

Plasencia's attorneys emphasized successful an email aft helium reached his statement that helium "was not treating Matthew Perry astatine the clip of his decease and the ketamine that caused Mr. Perry's decease was not provided by Dr. Plasencia."

The remaining charges tin transportation a maximum condemnation of 40 years successful prison, and determination is nary warrant he'll get less, but he's apt to. Plasencia has been escaped connected enslaved since soon aft his apprehension successful August. He volition not beryllium sentenced until a aboriginal hearing.

The lone remaining suspect who has not reached an statement with the U.S. Attorney's Office is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors allege is simply a cause trader known arsenic the "Ketamine Queen" and sold Perry the lethal dose. Her proceedings is scheduled to statesman adjacent month. She has pleaded not guilty.

According to prosecutors and co-defendants who reached their ain deals, Plasencia illegally supplied Perry with a ample magnitude of ketamine starting astir a period earlier his decease connected Oct. 28, 2023.

According to a co-defendant, Plasencia successful a substance connection called the histrion a "moron" who could beryllium exploited for money.

Perry's idiosyncratic assistant, his friend, and different doc each agreed to plead blameworthy past twelvemonth successful speech for their practice arsenic the authorities sought to marque their lawsuit against larger targets, Plasencia and Sangha. None person been sentenced yet.

Perry was recovered dormant by the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The aesculapian examiner ruled that ketamine, typically utilized arsenic a surgical anesthetic, was the superior origin of death.

The histrion had been utilizing the cause done his regular doc successful a ineligible but off-label attraction for depression, which has go progressively common. Perry, 54, began seeking much ketamine than his doc would springiness him.

Plasencia admitted successful his plea statement that different diligent connected him with Perry, and that starting astir a period earlier Perry's death, helium illegally supplied the histrion with 20 vials of ketamine totaling 100 mg of the drug, on with ketamine lozenges and syringes.

He admitted to enlisting different doctor, Mark Chavez, to proviso the cause for him, according to the tribunal filings.

"I wonderment however overmuch this moron volition pay," Plasencia texted Chavez, according to Chavez's plea agreement.

After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if helium could support supplying them truthful they could go Perry's "go-to," prosecutors said.

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.