Doctor linked to Matthew Perry’s death argues he was unfairly sentenced

The doctor convicted in connection with Matthew Perry’s death is appealing his prison sentence, arguing that he received a harsher punishment because of his status as a medical professional.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, one of five people sentenced in the investigation surrounding the late Friends star’s death, is challenging the 30-month prison term he received in December 2025 after pleading guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution.

According to a defense brief obtained by People magazine, Plasencia’s legal team contends that he was not acting as Perry’s physician when he supplied the drug and therefore should not have received a sentencing enhancement for abusing a position of trust.

The filing argues that Plasencia functioned as “nothing more than a drug dealer” in the transactions involving the actor and did not occupy a traditional doctor-patient role.

“Mr. Perry saw appellant for what he was in this case, namely, a drug dealer, who happened to have an ‘M.D.’ after his name,” the brief states.

“There was no fiduciary relationship in existence and Perry did not grant appellant any discretion as a treating physician.”

His attorneys further argued that Plasencia’s medical credentials were not essential to the crimes for which he was convicted and that his profession should not have resulted in a more severe sentence.

Matthew Perry died in October 2023 from accidental drowning caused by the acute effects of ketamine use.

His death triggered a federal investigation that ultimately led to criminal charges against five individuals.

Before sentencing, Plasencia publicly apologized to Perry’s family, expressing remorse for his actions.

“I failed myself. There is no excuse,” he told the court. “I can’t undo what’s been done. I know that. I should have protected him. I’m just so sorry.”

During the hearing, Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, addressed the court and criticized the doctor’s conduct, referencing text messages in which Plasencia allegedly referred to the actor as a “moron” while discussing how much money he could obtain from him.

“There was nothing moronic about that man,” Morrison said, adding that Plasencia had taken an oath to protect patients and should have extended that duty to her son.

Plasencia also spoke about his young son during the proceedings, saying he often thinks about how he will one day explain the case to him and expressing a desire to “raise him right.”

The doctor was the first of five defendants sentenced in the case. Perry’s former assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, received a 41-month prison sentence, while Jasveen Sangha, whom prosecutors described as the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Another physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, was sentenced to eight months of home detention and three years of supervised release.

Erik Fleming, a former acquaintance of Perry, was ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

The appeal seeks to overturn the sentencing enhancement tied to Plasencia’s role as a doctor, though his conviction itself remains unchanged.