Doctor Sentenced for Selling Ketamine to Matthew Perry Called "Friends" Star a "Moron" in Exploitation Case

A doctor who admitted selling ketamine to Matthew Perry received a 2 1/2-year prison sentence on Wednesday during an emotional hearing addressing the "Friends" star's fatal overdose.

Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett imposed the sentence on 44-year-old Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a Los Angeles federal courtroom, adding two years of probation and a $5,600 fine.

While clarifying that Plasencia did not provide the specific ketamine that killed Perry, the judge stated, "You and others helped Mr. Perry on the road to such an ending by continuing to feed his ketamine addiction."

"You exploited Mr. Perry's addiction for your own profit," she emphasized.

Plasencia was escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs as his mother wept in the audience. Though he might have arranged a surrender date, his attorneys indicated he was prepared for immediate custody.

Perry's mother, stepmother, and two half-sisters delivered tearful victim impact statements before sentencing.

"My brother's death turned my world upside down," sister Madeline Morrison said through tears. "It punched a crater in my life. His absence is everywhere."

She spoke about the widespread impact of his loss.

"The world mourns my brother. He was everyone's favorite friend," Morrison stated, adding "celebrities are not plastic dolls that you can take advantage of. They're people. They're human beings with families."

Perry had battled addiction for years, beginning during his time on "Friends," when he became one of his generation's biggest stars as Chandler Bing. He co-starred with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's hit show.

Plasencia is the first of five defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with Perry's death at age 54 in 2023 to be sentenced.

The doctor admitted to exploiting Perry, knowing he struggled with addiction. Court filings revealed Plasencia texted another doctor that Perry was a "moron" who could be exploited for money.

Prosecutors requested a three-year prison term, while the defense sought just one day in prison plus probation.

Perry's mother spoke about her son's resilience and strength.

"I used to think he couldn't die," Suzanne Perry said as her husband, "Dateline" journalist Keith Morrison, stood beside her at the podium.

"You called him a 'moron,'" she said, addressing Plasencia. "There is nothing moronic about that man. He was even a successful drug addict."

She spoke eloquently before becoming tearful at the conclusion, saying, "this was a bad thing you did!"

Plasencia also addressed the court, breaking into tears moments after Suzanne Perry spoke. He imagined having to tell his now 2-year-old son "about the time I didn't protect another mother's son. It hurts me so much. I can't believe I'm here."

He apologized directly to Perry's family. "I should have protected him," he said.

Perry had been legally taking ketamine as a depression treatment. However, when his regular doctor refused to provide the quantities he wanted, he turned to Plasencia.

Plasencia's attorneys attempted to portray him sympathetically as someone who rose from poverty to become a doctor beloved by patients.

His mother stood to speak after Perry's mother, but the judge indicated it wasn't appropriate for this hearing.

Outside the courthouse afterward, Luz Plasencia told reporters, "I'm sorry to the family of Matthew Perry."

"I'm feeling what they feel," she said. Speaking about her son, she added, "I know his heart."

In July, Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution. He did not plead to causing Perry's death, and his distribution was relatively limited as he sold only to Perry.

The judge noted she largely agreed with a probation report suggesting an appropriate sentence between eight and 14 months, but she significantly exceeded that recommendation.

"I think the judge was very well-reasoned," Keith Morrison told reporters afterward.

At the hearing's start, the judge stated that family impact statements might not be appropriate because legally, "there is no identifiable victim in this case. The victim is the public."

However, Plasencia's attorneys did not object to family members speaking.

The defense portrayed Plasencia as a doctor treating a patient who succumbed to recklessness and greed.

"It was a perfect storm of bad decision-making, everybody agrees," attorney Karen Goldstein said, adding "absolutely his judgment was clouded by money."

Prosecutors countered that he was never acting as a doctor.

"He wasn't a negligent or reckless medical provider," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello said. "He was a drug dealer in a white coat."

Judge Garnett generally agreed, challenging the defense argument that Perry was Plasencia's patient and that the doctor had diagnosed him during a phone call before sales began.

"Mr. Plasencia kept pushing it," the judge said. "He literally was offering to sell ketamine."

When another defense attorney asked, "Is your honor confused about how this all went down?" Garnett replied sternly, "No I'm not."

The four other defendants who reached plea deals will be sentenced at separate hearings in coming months. Garnett indicated she would ensure all sentences made sense in relation to one another.