One of the doctors who pleaded guilty to supplying Matthew Perry ketamine reportedly filed an appeal requesting the court to resentence him as a drug dealer, rather than a physician.
Dr. Salvador Plasenia recently filed documents in court alleging the judge wrongly punished him for being a physician who violated his position of trust, according to TMZ. He reportedly requested that the Ninth Circuit dismiss his 30-month prison term.
Plasencia, who previously pleaded guilty to four ketamine-distribution counts, claimed the “Friends” actor didn’t approach him for legitimate medical care but rather as a source for access to ketamine, according to the court documents. His attorneys argued that the judge should have sentenced him as a common drug dealer rather than as a doctor who broke his patient’s trust.
HOLLYWOOD – JULY 13: Host Matthew Perry onstage at the 13th Annual ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre on July 13, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Prosecutors alleged Plasencia provided Perry with ketamine in the weeks leading up to star’s death. He didn’t dispute the claims, but reportedly argued that he felt it was unfair that he received a harsher punishment than others tied to ketamine distribution in the case, namely defendants Mark Chavez and Erik Fleming, according to the court documents.
Plasencia also challenged other aspects of his sentence, according to TMZ. His attorneys claimed he faced inappropriate double-counting related to allegations that he altered records during the investigation into Perry’s death, the court documents read.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JUNE 15: Actor Matthew Perry attends Phoenix House’s 12th Annual Triumph For Teens Awards Gala at the Montage Beverly Hills on June 15, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Perry was open about his struggles with addiction over the course of his career. He was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home Oct. 28, 2023 at the age of 54. (RELATED: REPORT: Matthew Perry’s Ex-Assistant Allegedly Attempted To Conceal Ketamine Trail After Star’s Death)
Five individuals linked to the star’s death have pleaded guilty and faced sentencing, including Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors said was dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” and Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.