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Matthew Perry’s Former Ketamine Doctor Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison

Salvador Plasencia received 30 months in federal prison for ketamine distribution. The DOJ says he did not supply the dose that killed Matthew Perry.
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Salvador Plasencia, the former physician who supplied ketamine to Matthew Perry and his assistant, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on December 3, 2025. He pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing ketamine, was fined $5,600 and was taken into federal custody. The Department of Justice says Plasencia did not supply the ketamine that caused Perry’s death.

Why was Salvador Plasencia sentenced to prison?

Plasencia admitted to four counts of distributing ketamine. The Justice Department says he met Perry on September 30, 2023, and repeatedly sold ketamine to Perry and his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Between September 30 and October 12, Plasencia distributed 20 vials and multiple tablets, as well as syringes, according to the department’s sentencing announcement.

Prosecutors said Plasencia knew Perry had a history of addiction and that Iwamasa was administering ketamine without medical training or supervision. After Perry experienced a reaction that caused him to freeze up, Plasencia still left additional vials with Iwamasa, the DOJ said.

The DOJ’s release summarizes prosecutors’ sentencing memorandum as saying Plasencia charged $57,000 for his efforts, while ketamine was then going for approximately $15 per vial. These are figures attributed to prosecutors’ filing, not an independently audited price or accounting of the drugs.

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Plasencia surrendered his California medical license in September 2025. He was sentenced as a former physician.

Did Plasencia give Perry the fatal dose?

No, according to the DOJ: Plasencia did not provide the ketamine that killed Perry. The department’s account identifies Jasveen Sangha as the source of the ketamine used in the fatal injections, and Iwamasa as the person who injected Perry. The Drug Enforcement Administration says Iwamasa administered at least three shots on October 28, 2023.

The distinction matters: Plasencia’s guilty plea and 30-month sentence concern his ketamine distribution, not supplying the fatal dose. The DOJ’s account of Sangha’s sentencing and the DEA’s account of the final defendant’s sentencing describe the other roles in the fatal chain.

How did the five defendants’ sentences differ?

All five defendants in the case had been sentenced by May 27, 2026, according to the DEA. Their roles and offenses differed; comparing sentence lengths alone does not establish equivalent conduct or culpability.

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Defendant Role described by authorities Sentence
Salvador Plasencia Former physician who sold ketamine; pleaded guilty to four ketamine-distribution counts. 30 months in federal prison and a $5,600 fine, according to the DOJ.
Jasveen Sangha Identified by DOJ as the source of the ketamine used in the fatal injections. 180 months (15 years) in prison; sentenced April 8, 2026, according to the DOJ.
Kenneth Iwamasa Perry’s assistant; administered the fatal injections, according to DOJ and DEA accounts. 41 months in federal prison and a $10,000 fine; sentenced May 27, 2026, according to the DEA.
Erik Fleming Defendant in the case; the DEA lists his sentence in its summary. Two years, according to the DEA’s May 27, 2026 release.
Mark Chavez Defendant in the case; the DEA lists his sentence in its summary. Three years of probation, eight months of home detention and 300 hours of community service, according to the DEA’s May 27, 2026 release.

What was said at sentencing?

According to the Associated Press’s account of the hearing, Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett told Plasencia: “You exploited Mr. Perry’s addiction for your own profit.” That is a statement reported from the sentencing hearing.

Separately, when charges were announced in August 2024, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said: “These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.” That was a charging-stage statement, not the judge’s explanation for the 30-month sentence. The DOJ’s sentencing release also quotes Plasencia’s treatment notes as saying patients “should be monitored by [a] physician when undergoing treatment as a safety Measure,” according to court documents.

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What is not established about the 30-month term?

The available DOJ and DEA sentencing releases do not provide the full sentencing transcript or enough detail to reconstruct the guideline calculation. They establish the sentence and Plasencia’s guilty plea, but do not support a precise account of why the judge selected 30 months.

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