Salvador Plasencia, a licensed medical doctor from Santa Monica, California, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to four federal counts of distributing ketamine, a controlled substance.
The plea was made before U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett at a federal court in Los Angeles.
Plasencia, 43, was among five individuals charged in connection with the October 2023 death of actor Matthew Perry.
Prosecutors stated that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning. He was discovered unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in the Pacific Palisades.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Perry’s death was caused by the toxic effects of ketamine.
Other contributing factors were reported, but ketamine was identified as the primary cause.
Federal investigators alleged that an underground network of medical professionals and suppliers was responsible for the illegal distribution of ketamine to Perry.
Plasencia was one of the medical professionals who provided the drug to the actor.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Plasencia now faces a maximum of 40 years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release and a $2 million fine.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on December