• Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleads guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution linked to Matthew Perry’s death.
• The actor died on October 28, 2023, due to the effects of ketamine as well as other contributing factors.
• Plasencia admitted to supplying ketamine despite knowing Perry's history of addiction.
• He faces a potential 40-year prison sentence but is expected to receive a lesser penalty.
• Another defendant, Jasveen Sangha, awaits trial for allegedly supplying the fatal dose to Perry.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty on Wednesday to four counts of illegally supplying ketamine to actor Matthew Perry in the weeks leading up to his overdose death on October 28, 2023. He becomes the fourth individual to plead guilty in connection with Perry's death, an incident that has raised significant concerns regarding the distribution of controlled substances in non-clinical settings, particularly for at-home treatments. Plasencia is likely to face a lesser sentence than the maximum of 40 years, depending on sentencing outcomes set for December 3, 2025, according to HuffPost and Channel News Asia.

During the plea hearing in a Los Angeles federal court, Plasencia expressed profound remorse for his actions and indicated his intent to voluntarily surrender his medical license, acknowledging that Perry was a patient particularly vulnerable due to his addiction history. His lawyer, Debra White, highlighted that the doctor is taking full responsibility for distributing the drug without legitimate medical purposes, which underscores the alarming circumstances around at-home ketamine use. Plasencia's admissions reveal he had previously supplied Perry with over 20 vials of ketamine, alongside lozenges and syringes, in conversations that demonstrated a blatant exploitation of Perry's addiction, as suggested in communications with co-defendant Mark Chavez, according to ABC News and South China Morning Post.

The court documents revealed that Plasencia referred to Perry in derogatory terms, suggesting he would be financially exploitable, reflecting the unethical approach he took with the actor. This incident has drawn attention to the need for regulatory measures within the booming at-home ketamine treatment industry, especially following Perry’s estrangement with traditional healthcare that could have potentially offered safeguards against his fatal overdose. Prosecutors emphasize that while Plasencia did not supply the lethal dose that led to Perry's death, the ongoing trials, including that of Jasveen Sangha, the so-called "Ketamine Queen," highlight systemic issues regarding illicit drug distribution, as reported by Reuters and Los Angeles Times.

Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on "Friends," passed away in his hot tub, with autopsy reports attributing the acute effects of ketamine as the primary cause of death. His struggles with substance abuse were well-documented throughout his life, indicating that the healthcare professionals involved had a profound duty to prevent such tragedies by exercising better judgment in their practices. The tragic events surrounding Perry's death and the subsequent legal implications continue to bring widespread media coverage and public scrutiny regarding the ethics of medical practices involving vulnerable patients, according to Newsweek and Al Jazeera.