Doctor charged in Matthew Perry's death to reopen medical practice

Doctor charged in Matthew Perry’s death to reopen medical practice

Plasencia is one of two doctors charged with a connection to Perry's death
An autopsy said that ketamine caused his death
Five people have been charged for their alleged involvement

Updated: Aug 22, 2024 / 04:11 PM CDT

FILE – Matthew Perry poses for a portrait on Feb. 17, 2015, in New York. Authorities are investigating the death of Perry and how the beloved actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death. Los Angeles Police Capt. Scot Williams told the Los Angeles Times Tuesday, May 21, 2024, that detectives were looking into why the “Friends” star had so much ketamine in his system when he died in October. (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP, File)

(NewsNation) — A doctor who is charged with allegedly illegally supplying drugs to late “Friends” actor Matthew Perry is planning to reopen his medical practice as soon as Tuesday, according to his attorney.

Salvador Plasencia, who allegedly supplied drugs to Perry in the weeks before his fatal overdose, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine last week. His attorney confirmed to TMZ that Plasencia plans to resume practice at the urgent care he operates in the Calabasas area.

Plasencia has been told he can reopen his medical practice, but he is no longer allowed to prescribe patients controlled substances like ketamine.

Plasencia and another doctor, Mark Chavez, allegedly supplied the actor with vials of ketamine in exchange for $55,000 in cash. Plasencia also allegedly told another patient that Perry was “spiraling out of control with his addiction,” prosecutors said.

Two other defendants include Perry’s personal assistant and a woman named Jasveen Sangha, who is known as the “Ketamine Queen.” All of the defendants face multiple charges. Sangha could face life in prison, and the other defendants could face more than 20 years in prison.

“These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death, sends a clear message that we will hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.”