Matthew Perry's Ketamine Death: Second Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty
The 'lead' doctor charged in connection with Matthew Perry's 2023 ketamine overdose death has accepted a plea deal, prosecutors announced Monday.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, a spokesperson with the Central District of California said. The charges carry a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
More from Rolling Stone
'Will Sean Combs Testify?' and Other Burning Questions We Still Have
Judge Dismisses Sean Combs Juror Over Inconsistent Statements
Sean Combs Trial: Possible Juror Dismissal and Mogul's 'Threatening' Voice Notes
Plasencia, 43, is expected to appear in court in the coming weeks to formally enter his guilty plea. He was arrested last August alongside Jasveen Sangha, the woman described by prosecutors as the 'Ketamine Queen' of North Hollywood.
When federal officials first unsealed their 18-count indictment last year, they identified Plasencia and Sangha as the 'lead defendants' in the case. They said three other defendants already had agreed to deals in exchange for their cooperation.
The other three were identified as Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Dr. Mark Chavez (another physician), and Erik Fleming, a local man who allegedly acted as a go-between for Sangha in ketamine sales to Perry.
'[Plasencia] essentially acted as a street-corner drug dealer peddling a dangerous substance to somebody he knew was addicted,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello said last year at Plasencia's arraignment in downtown Los Angeles. 'He commented to another patient that the victim was spiraling out of control, yet he still offered to sell [Perry] more ketamine.'
In his plea deal agreement signed June 13, Plasencia admitted he once injected Perry with ketamine while the actor was in the backseat of a car parked outside the Long Beach Aquarium in Long Beach, California. He also admitted he visited Perry's house on Oct. 12, 2023, administered ketamine, and then watched as Perry's 'blood pressure spiked,' causing the actor to 'freeze up.'
'Not withstanding victim M.P.'s reaction, defendant left additional vials of ketamine with defendant Iwamasa, knowing that defendant Iwamasa would inject the ketamine into victim M.P.,' the plea agreement stated.
Plasencia pleaded not guilty at his arraignment last year and was released on bond. His lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Sangha, 42, was remanded into custody and is awaiting a trial set to begin in August. Prosecutors argued last August that she was a flight risk due to her British citizenship and because she allegedly returned to selling ketamine after both Perry's death and the death of another man in 2019 that purportedly was linked to ketamine she supplied.
Perry, an actor best-known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends, died on Oct. 28, 2023, at the age of 54 from the acute effects of ketamine, his autopsy determined. He was found face down in a hot tub at his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Officials said Perry 'became addicted' to intravenous ketamine while seeking treatment for depression and anxiety at a local clinic in fall 2023. They said Perry turned to the four suppliers charged in the case when the clinic refused to increase his dosage.
According to prosecutors, Plasencia and Chavez distributed about 20 vials of liquid ketamine to Perry in exchange for $55,000 cash during the last few weeks of the actor's life. The doctors charged Perry $2,000 for a single vial that cost Chavez approximately $12, officials said.
'I wonder how much this moron will pay?…[Let's] find out,' Plasencia allegedly texted Chavez on Sept. 30, 2023, according to the indictment. Later that day, Plasencia injected Perry with ketamine at the actor's house and left vials behind for Iwamasa to administer to Perry even though the assistant had no medical training, the filing stated. After the meeting, Plasencia allegedly texted Chavez that the interaction was 'like a bad movie.'
Chavez is due to be sentenced on Sept. 17. Fleming has his sentencing scheduled for Nov. 12, while Iwamasa has his sentencing set for Nov. 19.
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time
Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best
70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong warns of persisting national security threats
HONG KONG (AP) — A top Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong affairs on Saturday warned of persisting threats in the city as a China-imposed national security law approaches its fifth anniversary, while seeking to allay concerns about the law's impact on the financial hub's openness. Speaking at a forum about the law, attended also by the city leader John Lee and other officials. Xia Baolong, the director of China's Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, said various forms of soft resistance continue to emerge in new forms and external forces have never ceased their intervention in Hong Kong. 'Hong Kong has transformed from chaos to order. But just as a tree desires stillness, the wind continues to blow,' Xia said. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments deemed the law necessary to maintain the city's stability following anti-government protests in 2019. Under the law, many leading pro-democracy activists, including Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, were prosecuted . Dozens of civil society groups disbanded. This month, authorities have stepped up their crackdown, including charging young activist Joshua Wong , who was already sentenced last year over a subversion case, under the law for the second time and targeting a mobile game app . Last week, China's national security authorities in Hong Kong and the city's police launched their first publicly known joint operation , raiding the homes of six people on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. Critics say the political changes indicate that the Western-style civil liberties Beijing promised to keep intact when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 are shrinking. But Xia said the law only targeted an extremely small number of people who severely endanger national security. He also sought to allay concerns about Hong Kong's openness and international position. He insisted that normal international exchanges do not violate Hong Kong's national security law but rather are protected by it. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
an hour ago
Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong warns of persisting national security threats
HONG KONG -- A top Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong affairs on Saturday warned of persisting threats in the city as a China-imposed national security law approaches its fifth anniversary, while seeking to allay concerns about the law's impact on the financial hub's openness. Speaking at a forum about the law, attended also by the city leader John Lee and other officials, Xia Baolong, the director of China's Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, said various forms of soft resistance continue to emerge in new forms and external forces have never ceased their intervention in Hong Kong. 'Hong Kong has transformed from chaos to order. But just as a tree desires stillness, the wind continues to blow," Xia said. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments deemed the law necessary to maintain the city's stability following anti-government protests in 2019. Under the law, many leading pro-democracy activists, including Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, were prosecuted. Dozens of civil society groups disbanded. This month, authorities have stepped up their crackdown, including charging young activist Joshua Wong, who was already sentenced last year over a subversion case, under the law for the second time and targeting a mobile game app. Last week, China's national security authorities in Hong Kong and the city's police launched their first publicly known joint operation, raiding the homes of six people on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. Critics say the political changes indicate that the Western-style civil liberties Beijing promised to keep intact when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 are shrinking. But Xia said the law only targeted an extremely small number of people who severely endanger national security. He also sought to allay concerns about Hong Kong's openness and international position.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Fashion Expert Breaks Down F1 Movie Premiere Looks in New York
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A fashion expert on X by the name of Derek Guy has given his take on the attire of Formula One drivers at the F1 movie premiere in New York. The social media thread breaks down the look of each driver who was present in a group photo. The F1 movie is set to be released on June 25 (June 27 in North America), and the majority F1 team principals, drivers, including the co-producer Lewis Hamilton, were present in formal attire alongside the rest of the movie crew. Derek Guy stated on X that he reviewed the F1 drivers' outfits in response to fan demand. He said: (L-R) US actor and film producer Brad Pitt, British formula 1 driver and co-producer Lewis Hamilton and British actor Damson Idris attend the world premiere of "F1" at Times Square in New York on June... (L-R) US actor and film producer Brad Pitt, British formula 1 driver and co-producer Lewis Hamilton and British actor Damson Idris attend the world premiere of "F1" at Times Square in New York on June 16, 2025. More ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images "People keep asking me to do a thread breaking down why these suits don't look great. I gather that these are famous, very well accomplished F1 drivers [I don't know these people]. Since I only talk about famous people, I will do a thread. 🧵" People keep asking me to do a thread breaking down why these suits don't look great. I gather that these are famous, very well accomplished F1 drivers (I don't know these people). Since I only talk about famous people, I will do a thread. 🧵 — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 17, 2025 He added: "Please note nothing in this thread is meant to diminish the men in these clothes. If anything, it's the people who dressed them that failed them. I am only talking about the clothes. Hopefully, by pointing out these issues, you will learn something for when you're shopping." Starting with Liam Lawson, Derek Guy pointed out the missing tie. He wrote: "A pinstripe suit with a white business shirt cries out for tie. If you don't want to wear a tie, then you need a more casual shirt or a more casual suit. Additionally, the shoes are too chunky for this outfit." A pinstripe suit with a white business shirt cries out for tie. If you don't want to wear a tie, then you need a more casual shirt or a more casual suit. Additionally, the shoes are too chunky for this outfit. — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 17, 2025 He added: "But the biggest issue is that there's something wrong with the tailoring. It's very easy to spot this on a patterned fabric because the vertical lines should run 'true,' which is to say straight up and down. See how these lines are swinging away from his body." Next on the list was Lawson's former teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. Derek Guy wrote: "I commend this person for trying to be adventurous but I just don't think it's working on him. The outfit is just too large. The proportions on the jacket are also strange [too truncated at the bottom]. But cool that he tried something different." I commend this person for trying to be adventurous but I just don't think it's working on him. The outfit is just too large. The proportions on the jacket are also strange (too truncated at the bottom). But cool that he tried something different. — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 17, 2025 Alpine's Pierre Gasly was the best-dressed driver in the group, but a simple feedback never hurt anyone. Derek Guy pointed out: "The best of the group but the jacket is too short and the pants are too slim, causing them to catch on his legs. I think he would look better in a longer jacket and slightly fuller pants, as well as shirt collar points that reach his lapels." The best of the group but the jacket is too short and the pants are too slim, causing them to catch on his legs. I think he would look better in a longer jacket and slightly fuller pants, as well as shirt collar points that reach his lapels. — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 17, 2025 Ferrari's Charles Leclerc might have tried a 1980s style, but that didn't impress Derek Guy. He wrote: "Shoulders strike me as too wide and trousers are too long. This can be a style [1980s Armani-esque]. I just don't feel it's working here. I think this would look better with narrower shoulders, slightly trimmer pants, and less break." Shoulders strike me as too wide and trousers are too long. This can be a style (1980s Armani-esque). I just don't feel it's working here. I think this would look better with narrower shoulders, slightly trimmer pants, and less break. — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 17, 2025 Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar had more points to take back, including one on his footwear. He wrote: "Personally don't like this silhouette and really dislike the shape of the lapels. Bottom button shouldn't be fastened. Would look better with dress shoes, not sneakers." Personally don't like this silhouette and really dislike the shape of the lapels. Bottom button shouldn't be fastened. Would look better with dress shoes, not sneakers. — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 17, 2025 Derek Guy then critiqued Carlos Sainz and Gabriel Bortoleto. He wrote: "Both pairs of pants are too slim. Second person's jacket is too short. Both would look better with traditional dress shoes. Personally dislike luxury sneakers like Zegna's. Minimalist sneakers that cost $1,000 are inherently corny." Both pairs of pants are too slim. Second person's jacket is too short. Both would look better with traditional dress shoes. Personally dislike luxury sneakers like Zegna's. Minimalist sneakers that cost $1,000 are inherently corny. — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 17, 2025 Lastly, the fashion expert pointed out that Hamilton, Brad Pitt, and Damson Idris were well-dressed. However, he admitted that they were mostly dressed by reputable stylists. He wrote: "Some people will say I'm old fashioned. But I think these three guys at the premiere looked great. And look: their outfits follow basic tailoring principles: jackets bisect halfway from collar to floor; jacket silhouette flows into trousers. Outfits don't look old fashioned." He added: "I assume the three men above were helped by higher-powered stylists. Perhaps the F1 drivers were just put in branded clothes. IMO, if you are a celebrity, you should turn down brand deals. Don't wear clothes for money [you don't need more money]. Instead, hire a tailor."
