Los Angeles — A federal judge has sentenced California physician Dr. Salvador Plasencia to two and a half years in prison for illegally supplying ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks leading up to the actor’s fatal overdose in 2023. The sentencing, delivered in a Los Angeles federal court, marks the first completed prosecution in a broader case that has now seen four additional defendants plead guilty.

According to prosecutors, Plasencia repeatedly provided high-dose ketamine to the Friends star without any legitimate medical basis, despite Perry’s evident vulnerability and documented history of addiction. The substances were delivered through private arrangements rather than through regulated clinical treatment. In a sharply worded ruling, the judge stated that while Plasencia did not administer the lethal dose, he “fed and profited from an addiction that ultimately destroyed Mr. Perry,” noting that his conduct demonstrated a profound breach of medical trust.

Evidence presented in court included text messages in which Plasencia and other suppliers referred to Perry in demeaning terms, describing him as someone they could exploit for money. Prosecutors said the doctor had surrendered his licence to prescribe controlled substances and will serve two years of supervised release upon completing his prison term.

Perry’s family members delivered emotional statements at the hearing, describing the actor’s long struggle with substance use and condemning those who “helped push him into the final stages of a dangerous addiction.” Investigators say four other individuals involved — including another doctor, a dealer known informally as the “Ketamine Queen,” and an assistant who coordinated deliveries — have already entered guilty pleas and await sentencing.

The case has drawn national attention not only because of Perry’s fame but also because of its broader implications: the rise of loosely regulated ketamine therapies, cash-based supply networks, and providers who circumvent safety protocols for profit. Federal authorities said the investigation remains active and that more charges may follow as they continue mapping the supply chain that contributed to Perry’s final months.

The judgment closes one chapter of an expansive inquiry, but its message resonates widely: when medical professionals violate their oath and enable substance abuse, the justice system will pursue accountability — regardless of the notoriety of the victim or the professional standing of the perpetrator.