Matthew Perry's doctor will plead guilty to four counts related to star's death

A doctor who provided ketamine to Matthew Perry in the months leading up to his death has agreed to plead guilty to several drug-related charges.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia was charged with four counts of distribution of ketamine and is expected to enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

The plea carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

Perry died on October 28, 2023, after an apparent drowning in the hot tub at his home in Pacific Palisades, California.

Plasencia and another woman, Jasveen Sangha, accused of being a ketamine dealer, were the primary focus of the prosecution. Three other defendants, including another doctor, Dr. Mark Chavez, have already agreed to plead guilty in exchange for their cooperation in the case.

Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, introduced the actor to Plasencia in September 2023, according to Fox News Digital. Plasencia obtained the ketamine from Chavez, who allegedly taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with the drug.

Chavez had previously operated a ketamine clinic, and he and Plasencia discussed how much to charge Perry for the drug in text messages cited in the indictment, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The outlet reported that the doctors distributed 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $55,000, charging $2,000 per vial that cost Chavez $12 each, per court records and federal prosecutors.

“Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, and it ended with street dealers who sold him ketamine in unmarked vials,” U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram said during a news conference last year.

Of the people involved, Sangha, who was allegedly referred to as the "Ketamine Queen," is the only one to have pleaded not guilty thus far.

Editor's Note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.