LOS ANGELES (TNND) — The doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to “Friends” star Matthew Perry days before his overdose death is set to be sentenced on Wednesday.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 44, is expected to be sentenced to three years in prison after he reached a plea agreement where he admitted to illegally selling Perry large amounts of Ketamine.
Court filings detailed that Perry had been taking ketamine legally as a treatment for depression, but when his doctor wouldn’t prescribe it in the amounts he wanted, Plascencia sold it to Perry despite knowing he struggled with addiction. A text message sent in September from Plasencia stated, “I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let’s find out.”
“Rather than do what was best for Mr. Perry — someone who had struggled with addiction for most of his life — defendant sought to exploit Perry’s medical vulnerability for profit,” the prosecution’s sentencing memo said.
The defense tried to portray Plasencia as sympathetic by saying it was “the biggest mistake of his life.”
“Remorse cannot begin to capture the pain, regret and shame that Mr. Plasencia feels for the tragedy that unfolded and that he failed to prevent,” the memo said.
In July, Plasencia became the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry’s death to plead guilty. He was charged with four counts of distribution of ketamine.
Legally, U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett can give him up to 40 years.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.