Doctor in Matthew Perry overdose case sentenced to 2-1/2 years in prison

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a California doctor, was sentenced to 2-1/2 years in prison on Wednesday for illegally supplying “Friends” sitcom star Matthew Perry with ketamine, the powerful sedative that led to the actor's drug overdose death in 2023.

Dr. Plasencia, who operated an urgent-care clinic outside Los Angeles, had pleaded guilty in July 2025 to four felony counts of the illegal distribution of the prescription anesthetic. 

Ketamine is a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties that is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders. It also has seen widespread abuse as an illicit party drug.

Perry was found by his live-in assistant floating face down and lifeless in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home in October 2023. He was 54. An autopsy report concluded the actor died from the "acute effects of ketamine," which combined with other factors in causing the actor to lose consciousness and drown.

Authorities determined that the actor’s overdose was caused by a combination of drugs, including ketamine, which had been illegally supplied by Dr. Plasencia.

Plasencia could have faced up to 40 years in prison if convicted at trial. However, as part of a plea agreement, the doctor received a much shorter sentence, which will see him serve time for his role in Perry's tragic death.

During the court proceedings, federal prosecutors noted that Plasencia had been illegally distributing ketamine to Perry and others outside of a legitimate medical context.

Perry’s stepfather, journalist Keith Morrison, left the courthouse alongside the actor’s mother, Suzanne Perry. Morrison called the case “a tragic story.”

“Sometimes apparently nice guys do bad things,” he said. “And the legal system has to take account of it.”

The mother of Dr. Salvador Plasencia expressed relief and remorse outside of the courthouse after the sentencing.

“It could have been worse, but thank you, God. Thank you, the judge. Thank you, everybody,” Luz Plasencia told reporters.

“And I'm sorry (to) all the family of Matthew Perry. I'm sorry. And my son, he says sorry.”

Perry, known for his iconic role as Chandler Bing on the hit TV show Friends, had battled substance abuse issues throughout his life, and his tragic death has sparked widespread conversation about addiction and mental health issues in Hollywood.

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