Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty on Wednesday in US District Court, Los Angeles, to providing actor Matthew Perry with ketamine in the weeks before Perry's death. Plasencia faces up to 40 years in prison. He is the fourth of five defendants to plead guilty in connection with Perry's 2023 death. A postmortem examination determined that Perry died from acute ketamine effects, a substance he was taking as part of supervised therapy. Jasveen Sangha, a fifth defendant alleged to have supplied the fatal dose and known as the "ketamine queen," has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in August. Plasencia's lawyers stated he is accepting responsibility and intends to surrender his medical license.

Plasencia did not provide the fatal dose, but his actions contributed to Perry's overdose. Perry had publicly discussed his history of substance abuse.

Impact Statement: This guilty plea highlights the dangers of unregulated prescription drug distribution and its impact on individuals with substance abuse issues.