Doctor charged with giving Friends star Matthew Perry ketamine agrees to plead guilty
A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the months leading up to the Friends star's overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Monday.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said the plea carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and Plascencia is expected to enter the plea in the coming weeks.
Plasencia and a woman accused of being a ketamine dealer had been the primary targets of the prosecution, after three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for their co-operation.
Plasencia had been scheduled to start trial in August.
Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023, at age 54.
The actor was found by his assistant face down in his hot tub, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead.
Ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, according to a medical examiner's report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Province
2 hours ago
- The Province
Doctor who supplied ketamine to Perry, called him ‘moron' will plead guilty
Published Jun 16, 2025 • 2 minute read Matthew Perry appears at the GQ Men of the Year Party in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2022. Photo by Willy Sanjuan / Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. LOS ANGELES — A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star's overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Monday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said the plea carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Plasencia is expected to enter the plea in the coming weeks. According to a co-defendant, Plasencia called the actor a 'moron' who could be exploited in a text message. The physician had been one of the primary targets of the prosecution, along with a woman accused of being a ketamine dealer. Three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their co-operation. Plasencia and the woman, Jasveen Sangha, had been scheduled to start trial in August. An email to his attorney seeking a comment was not immediately answered. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression that has become increasingly common. Read More Perry, 54, began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before the actor's death, he found Plasencia, a doctor who in turn allegedly asked the other doctor, Mark Chavez, to obtain the drug for him, according to Chavez's plea agreement. 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court filings. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Santa Monica, Calif., where Plasencia practised, and San Diego, where Chavez practised, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry's 'go-to,' prosecutors said. Plasencia initially visited Perry's house and injected him with ketamine himself. He showed Perry's personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, how to inject it and subsequently dealt with him, according to Iwamasa's plea agreement. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Perry was also getting ketamine from another source, Sangha, who prosecutors allege was a major dealer and supplied the dose that killed the actor. Sangha has pleaded not guilty — making her the only one of the five people charged in Perry's death who has not entered a plea agreement. She remains jailed as she awaits trial. Plasencia was freed on bond after his initial court appearances. Erik Fleming, a friend of Perry who said he acted as a middleman and drug messenger, has also pleaded guilty and has been co-operating with prosecutors. None of the defendants have yet been sentenced. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends , when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks National Sports News
Toronto Sun
5 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Doctor who supplied ketamine to Perry, called him ‘moron' will plead guilty
Published Jun 16, 2025 • 2 minute read Matthew Perry appears at the GQ Men of the Year Party in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2022. Photo by Willy Sanjuan / Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. LOS ANGELES — A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star's overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Monday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said the plea carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Plasencia is expected to enter the plea in the coming weeks. According to a co-defendant, Plasencia called the actor a 'moron' who could be exploited in a text message. The physician had been one of the primary targets of the prosecution, along with a woman accused of being a ketamine dealer. Three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their co-operation. Plasencia and the woman, Jasveen Sangha, had been scheduled to start trial in August. An email to his attorney seeking a comment was not immediately answered. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression that has become increasingly common. Read More Perry, 54, began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before the actor's death, he found Plasencia, a doctor who in turn allegedly asked the other doctor, Mark Chavez, to obtain the drug for him, according to Chavez's plea agreement. 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court filings. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Santa Monica, Calif., where Plasencia practised, and San Diego, where Chavez practised, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry's 'go-to,' prosecutors said. Plasencia initially visited Perry's house and injected him with ketamine himself. He showed Perry's personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, how to inject it and subsequently dealt with him, according to Iwamasa's plea agreement. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Perry was also getting ketamine from another source, Sangha, who prosecutors allege was a major dealer and supplied the dose that killed the actor. Sangha has pleaded not guilty — making her the only one of the five people charged in Perry's death who has not entered a plea agreement. She remains jailed as she awaits trial. Plasencia was freed on bond after his initial court appearances. Erik Fleming, a friend of Perry who said he acted as a middleman and drug messenger, has also pleaded guilty and has been co-operating with prosecutors. None of the defendants have yet been sentenced. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends , when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit.
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Protester killed at Utah ‘No Kings' rally was a fashion designer from ‘Project Runway'
SALT LAKE CITY — The man shot and killed while participating in the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City was a successful fashion designer and former 'Project Runway' contestant who devoted his life to celebrating artists from the Pacific Islands. Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was killed Saturday night when two men shot at a person brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, and one accidentally struck Ah Loo in the stomach, authorities said. Ah Loo later died at the hospital. Salt Lake City police said it remained unclear Monday whether the individuals, one of whom identified himself as part of a 'peacekeeping' team for the protest, were brought in by the event organizers or acted on their own initiative. Arturo Gamboa, 24, never shot the rifle he pointed at protesters, but police arrested him on murder charges and said he created the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death. Police said they were investigating whether the man who shot at Gamboa — and fatally hit Ah Loo — was justified in firing his gun. He has not been identified publicly. Victim was a self-taught designer Ah Loo leaves behind a wife and two young children, according to a GoFundMe page for his family that raised over $100,000 in 48 hours. The self-taught fashion designer known to many as Afa devoted his life to doing 'good things for his neighbors and community,' state Rep. Verona Mauga, a close friend, told The Associated Press. Their families were from the small village of Lotopa in Samoa, she said. Ah Loo was born in Samoa and has lived in Utah for about a decade, his friend Benjamin Powell said. Mauga, who was born in Hawaii, was at the 'No Kings' protest a few blocks from where Ah Loo was shot. The Democratic lawmaker said she only realized something was wrong when she saw the crowd scattering. Peaceful protest turns deadly The protest Saturday was one of hundreds in cities nationwide to counter President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday. There is no record in the Salt Lake City event permit indicating that armed security would be present, police said. Carl Moore, a 49-year-old Indigenous advocate, was filming the protest when three gunshots rang out through the crowd estimated at 10,000 people. Moore said he observed confusion among police as protesters hid behind barriers and took shelter inside parking garages and nearby businesses. 'They don't know what they're looking for. They're just yelling like, 'What does he look like?'' Moore recalled. Weaving culture and community through fashion Mauga said Ah Loo would have been proud that his last moments were spent advocating for what he believed in. 'If Afa was going to go out any other way than natural causes, it would be standing up for marginalized and vulnerable communities and making sure that people had a voice,' she said. Powell, a hair salon innovator from Fiji, co-founded Create Pacific with Ah Loo shortly after they met four years ago. The organization uplifts artists from the Pacific Islands, allowing a new generation to connect with their heritage. The two artists were friends with a rare creative synergy, Powell said. Ah Loo's vibrant work weaves traditional Pacific Island attire with modern silhouettes and design. He used flowers indigenous to Samoa as motifs and frequently incorporated Tapa, a cloth traditionally made from tree bark in the Pacific Islands, into the garments he created. Powell admired Ah Loo's attention to detail that made his work distinctive. 'You would know right away that it was an Ah Loo design,' he said. Ah Loo was a contestant in 2019 on Bravo's 'Project Runway,' a reality show where fashion designers compete in front of celebrity judges to create runway looks on tight deadlines. Recently, he designed a garment for the star of the animated Disney movie 'Moana 2,' Hawaiian actor Auliʻi Cravalho. According to an interview with Vogue, Cravalho wore the outfit inspired by the Hawaiian ʻahu ʻula — a feather cloak worn by ancient Hawaiian royalty — to the film's red carpet premiere in Hawaii last November. A posthumous honor In an Instagram post Monday, Cravalho said there were 'no words to hold the grief of losing' Ah Loo. 'My deepest condolences, sympathies and Aloha to his family, and all who felt his impact,' Cravalho wrote. Powell and Ah Loo were working on an upcoming August fashion show when he died. Powell said the show will continue and will honor Ah Loo's unwavering commitment to his community. Ah Loo also volunteered his time and resources to tailor clothing for people who needed help, often refusing to let people compensate him for his work, Mauga said. Sometimes, he would playfully criticize the outfits the state lawmaker wore on the campaign trail and invite her to his studio so he could make her new blazers or dresses. 'He was just very involved in whatever was going on in the community,' Mauga said. 'He cared about making a difference.' Article by Safiyah Riddle And Hannah Schoenbaum. Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writers Jesse Bedayn in Denver and Beatrice Dupuy in New York City contributed reporting.
