Suvechha Sarkar
In October 2023, the tragic death of beloved actor Matthew Langford Perry in his Los Angeles, California home brought renewed attention to the dangers of addiction. The tragedy was followed by an extensive investigation that revealed that his doctor, Salvador Plasencia, and four other people, including Matthew’s personal assistant, Kenneth “Kenny” Iwamasa, were implicated in the case involving the distribution of ketamine in connection with the actor’s death. The details of the case are explored in Netflix’s ‘The One About Matthew Perry.’ The documentary also features old interviews with Matthew himself and his loved ones.
Salvador Plasencia Came Under Scrutiny After Matthew Perry’s Death
Salvador Plasencia was born in California in 1981 and raised there. However, very little information is currently available about his early life. However, we do know that he had always been interested in medicine. After graduating from Arroyo High School in El Monte, California, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Riverside. Salvador continued his higher education by enrolling at the University of California, Los Angeles, from where he finally received his Doctorate in Medicine.
Following that, Salvador completed his residency training at the University of Oklahoma, Tulsa. Over the years, Salvador gained further experience as a Primary Care Physician trained in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. His patients ranged from newborns to senior citizens and handled multiple urgent medical issues in the emergency room. Fluent in Spanish and English, Salvador was associated with two healthcare facilities. He eventually opened his own Internal Medicine practice in Calabasas, called Malibu Canyon Urgent Care, and its associated telehealth service, TeliMedi.
According to official documents, one of Salvador’s patients introduced him to the renowned actor Matthew Langford Perry on September 30, 2023. Salvador soon came under scrutiny when the 54-year-old actor passed away in Los Angeles. The autopsy determined that Matthew’s primary cause of death was the effects of ketamine. Reports state that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy (to help with his drug and alcohol problems) at the time of his death. However, the medical examiner observed that the compound was not supposed to be in his system since his last therapy session took place over a week before he passed away, directing investigators to Salvador.
Salvador Plasencia Was Arrested Along With Four Other Suspects
Meanwhile, authorities collected the phone of Matthew’s personal assistant, Kenneth “Kenny” Iwamasa, and two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez. The phone records of Salvador and Mark revealed that on September 30, the former met Mark to purchase ketamine tablets, vials, and syringes. As per federal records, Salvador then drove to Matthew’s home in Los Angeles and injected him with ketamine. Further reports indicate that the doctor left at least one vial of the drug with Kenneth and also received around $4,500 from the assistant.
Digital forensic experts soon discovered a text that Salvador had sent to Mark on September 30, 2023, in which the former wrote, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” The text messages reportedly revealed that Salvador had also discussed with Mark about how much Matthew should be charged for the ketamine. According to court records, the authorities alleged that both doctors tried to cover up the role they played in supplying ketamine to the 54-year-old. In one of their text exchanges, one of them had said, “Delete all our messages.” Apart from that, the officials also focused on an actress, Jasveen Sangha, and Matthew’s acquaintance, Erik Fleming.
Salvador and Jasveen were arrested on August 15, 2024. The other three suspects were subsequently taken into custody. Salvador was charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine, two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the investigation, and one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. On the other hand, Jasveen was charged with five counts of distribution of ketamine and one count each of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and possession with intent to distribute ketamine. Mark, Erik, and Kenneth were also indicted on the charge of providing the ketamine to Matthew that caused his death.
Salvador Plasencia is Incarcerated at a Federal Prison in California Today
Erik and Kenneth pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death in August 2024. Erik additionally entered into a guilty plea to one count of distributing ketamine, causing death. In October 2024, Mark pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and was later sentenced to eight months of home detention and three years of probation. During his first court appearance, Salvador pleaded not guilty to his charges. He was eventually released after posting his $154,000 bond. He was scheduled to go on trial in August 2025. In the meantime, the prosecution built a strong case against him. They emphasized that the defendant knew that ketamine was a controlled substance.
The prosecution argued that in the weeks leading up to Matthew’s death, Salvador had injected the drug into the actor multiple times, but none of them was on that fateful day. They also alleged that Salvador tried to falsify medical notes and records in an attempt to make it look like the actions had been legitimate. Eventually, he entered into a plea deal with the prosecution. On July 23, 2025, Salvador pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine and surrendered his medical license the following month. As part of his agreement, he admitted to providing Matthew with ketamine. He also acknowledged that he met the actor after learning from the patient that the 54-year-old was willing to pay thousands of dollars for the ketamine treatment.
Salvador was finally sentenced to 2.5 years (30 months) in federal prison on December 3, 2025. The judge also ordered him to pay a $5,600 fine. In September 2025, Jasveen pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of ketamine and one count each of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury and maintaining a drug-involved premises. In early 2026, Erik received a 2-year prison term, while Jasveen was sentenced to 15 years. Kenneth received a 3-year and 5-month prison term in May 2026. As of today, Salvador is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Mendota, California. His current release date is scheduled for July 21, 2027.
Read More: Frederick Louis Tanzer: Where is the Convict Now?
