A doctor who was sentenced to 30 months in prison for supplying ketamine to actor Matthew Perry is appealing the punishment, arguing that he was functioning as a drug dealer rather than as a physician when the transactions took place.
According to a defence filing obtained by CBC News, lawyers representing 44-year-old Dr. Salvador Plasencia claim he received a harsher sentence than co-defendants Mark Chavez and Erik Fleming. They argue that Plasencia was “punished more severely on account of his professional status even though he did not abuse his position of trust or use a special skill,” while providing ketamine to Perry.
The appeal states that Plasencia, who pleaded guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution and was sentenced on Dec. 3, was “not acting as a physician.”
“Instead, he was nothing more than a drug dealer, similar to the role played by defendants Chavez and Flemming.”
According to the filing, Perry viewed Plasencia “for what he was in this case, namely, a drug dealer who happened to have an ‘M.D.’ after his name.” The brief further argues: “There was no fiduciary relationship in existence and Perry did not grant appellant any discretion as a treating physician.”
While acknowledging that doctors hold positions of trust and possess specialized medical expertise, Plasencia’s legal team contends that “these attributes must be shown to have ‘contributed in some significant way,'” to the offence. They maintain that this standard was not met in his case.
The lawyers also criticize the sentencing judge’s focus on Plasencia’s medical credentials, calling it “misguided.” They argue that his status as a physician “were not integral to the commission of the drug crimes.”
Matthew Perry, 54, was best known for portraying Chandler Bing on the popular sitcom Friends. He was found dead in the hot tub at the home he shared with his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, in October 2023. Authorities determined that he died from a fatal ketamine overdose.
Court records show that Iwamasa obtained ketamine and administered some of the injections. On the day of his death, Perry reportedly instructed him to “shoot me up with a big one.”
Legal documents also indicate that Plasencia admitted to supplying ketamine vials to both Perry and Iwamasa in the days leading up to the actor’s death. Before meeting Perry on Sept. 30, 2023, Plasencia allegedly sent a text message to Chavez, who had agreed to obtain the drug, saying, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
