Doctor appeals sentence in Matthew Perry ketamine case
Matthew Perry ketamine case: doctor appeals 30-month prison sentence Defense says he acted as a dealer, not a physician, in Perry's overdose death
A doctor sentenced to 30 months in prison for selling ketamine to Matthew Perry is appealing the punishment, saying he was acting as a drug dealer rather than a physician when he supplied the drug to the actor.
In a defence brief obtained by CBC News, lawyers for Dr. Salvador Plasencia argued that he received a harsher sentence than two other defendants because of his medical title, even though they say his status as a doctor did not play a meaningful role in the crimes. They say he was not acting as a treating physician and did not have a fiduciary relationship with Perry.
Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution and was sentenced on Dec. 3. The case stems from Perry’s fatal ketamine overdose in October 2023, after the Friends star was found dead in the hot tub at his home in Los Angeles. Court filings say Plasencia admitted distributing ketamine vials to Perry and his personal assistant in the days before Perry died.