Fact Check: "Dr. Salvador Plasencia illegally supplied Matthew Perry with 20 vials of ketamine totaling 100 mg, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes, starting about a month before Perry's death."
What We Know
Dr. Salvador Plasencia has been charged in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry, who died from a ketamine overdose on October 28, 2023. According to the Department of Justice, Plasencia is alleged to have illegally supplied Perry with ketamine during the weeks leading up to his death. Specifically, he is accused of distributing 20 vials of ketamine totaling 100 mg, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes. This distribution reportedly began about a month prior to Perry's death.
In a plea agreement, Plasencia admitted to supplying Perry with these drugs and acknowledged that he had enlisted another doctor, Mark Chavez, to assist in obtaining the ketamine. He also admitted to injecting Perry with the drug and providing instructions to Perry's personal assistant on how to administer it (NPR, New York Times).
Analysis
The claim that Dr. Plasencia illegally supplied Matthew Perry with ketamine is supported by multiple sources, including official court documents and statements from law enforcement. The Department of Justice explicitly states that Plasencia distributed ketamine to Perry outside the bounds of legitimate medical practice. Furthermore, the details in Plasencia's plea agreement corroborate the assertion that he supplied Perry with the drugs in question, including the specific quantities and forms of ketamine (BBC, ABC News).
However, it is important to note that while the claim is largely accurate, the context surrounding the supply of ketamine is complex. Plasencia's actions were part of a broader network involving multiple defendants, including drug dealers and other medical professionals (NPR). This indicates that while Plasencia played a significant role, he was not acting in isolation.
The reliability of the sources used in this analysis is high, as they include official legal documents and reputable news organizations that have reported on the case. However, the potential for bias exists, particularly in sensationalized media coverage of celebrity-related legal issues.
Conclusion
The claim that Dr. Salvador Plasencia illegally supplied Matthew Perry with 20 vials of ketamine, along with lozenges and syringes, starting about a month before Perry's death is Partially True. While the core elements of the claim are substantiated by legal documents and credible news reports, the broader context of the case—including the involvement of multiple defendants and the complexities of the drug distribution network—suggests that the situation is more nuanced than the claim implies.
Sources
- Five Defendants, Including Two Doctors, Charged in Connection with Actor Matthew Perry’s Fatal Drug Overdose Last Year
- Doctor who supplied ketamine to Matthew Perry will plead guilty
- Doctor Who Gave Matthew Perry Ketamine Will Plead Guilty
- California doctor to plead guilty to supplying Matthew Perry
- Doctor in Matthew Perry ketamine overdose case agrees to plead guilty
