LOS ANGELES – The doctor who provided Matthew Perry with ketamine prior to the actor’s accidental death has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Dr. Bernard Plasencia, who owned an urgent care clinic in Malibu, California, was sentenced after pleading guilty in connection to Perry’s death, which was resolute to be caused by the acute effects of the drug. he is the first of five individuals to be sentenced in the case.
Perry was found unresponsive and floating face down in his Los Angeles home’s hot tub in 2023, following a period of increasing reliance on ketamine. Plasencia faced a potential 40-year prison sentance if convicted at trial; prosecutors had recommended a three-year term, arguing he “sought to exploit Perry’s medical vulnerability for profit.” They highlighted “egregious breaches of trust,” stating Plasencia sold the ketamine despite knowing Perry’s personal assistant was administering it without proper medical oversight and after the actor had experienced an adverse reaction.
Plasencia’s defense team acknowledged the doctor overlooked signs of addiction but maintained he played a “more limited and discrete role” in Perry’s death. His lawyer, Karen Golstein, stated, “Plasencia is someone who made serious mistakes in his treatment decisions involving the off-label use of ketamine-a drug commonly used for depression that does not have uniform standards. The mistakes he made over the 13 days during which he treated Mr. Perry will stay with him forever.”
The sentencing was met with strong condemnation from Perry’s family. In a victim impact statement, suzanne and Keith Morrison, Perry’s mother and stepfather, described Plasencia as “the most culpable of all” those charged, alleging he “conspired to break his most critically important vows, repeatedly, sneaked through the night to meet his victim in secret.” Perry’s stepmother, Debbie Perry, wrote, “Matthew’s recovery counted on you saying NO.”
Court documents reveal instances where Plasencia continued to provide ketamine despite concerning health indicators.Following one administration that caused Perry’s blood pressure to spike, Plasencia allegedly instructed Perry’s personal assistant – also charged in the case – to order more, stating in a text, “I know you mentioned taking a break…I have been stocking up on the meanwhile.I am not sure when you guys plan to resume but in case its when im out of town this weekend I have left supplies with a nurse of mine.”
Further text messages revealed a concerning exchange with another defendant, in which Plasencia allegedly wrote, “I wonder how much this moron will pay…Let’s find out.”
Jasveen Sangha,known as the “Ketamine Queen” and accused of supplying the fatal dose,is scheduled for sentencing in February.
