The physician at the center of the investigation into Friends star Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose is set to plead guilty to multiple federal charges, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four felony counts of ketamine distribution, each carrying a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors allege Plasencia sold the potent anesthetic at inflated prices and personally administered the drug to Perry via injection at the actor’s Los Angeles home.

The charges mark a significant development in the criminal probe surrounding the 2023 death of Perry, best known for his beloved role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends.

The 54-year-old actor, who had long struggled with substance abuse, was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his residence. An autopsy later confirmed lethal levels of ketamine in his bloodstream.

Shocking New Details in Plea Agreement

According to court documents released Monday, Plasencia distributed 20 vials of ketamine over a two-week period in the fall of 2023, shortly before Perry’s death. The drugs were reportedly obtained from another physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, who pleaded guilty last October to conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Text messages obtained by prosecutors suggest Plasencia was fully aware of Perry’s celebrity status and appeared to exploit it. In one message, he allegedly remarked: “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” — referring to the actor.

Though Perry was undergoing clinically supervised ketamine therapy for depression at the time, authorities say he had become addicted to the substance, which is increasingly misused recreationally for its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects.

A Wider Drug Network

Plasencia is among five individuals now facing charges in connection with Perry’s death. One of them, Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen”, has been accused of supplying the fatal dose. She has pleaded not guilty.

Perry’s personal assistant and another man pleaded guilty in August 2023 to conspiracy charges related to the broader drug distribution operation allegedly responsible for funneling ketamine to the actor.

A Tragic Legacy

Matthew Perry’s passing sparked a wave of mourning across the globe, especially among fans of Friends and advocates for addiction recovery. Renowned for his sharp wit and emotional transparency, Perry had long been open about his battle with substance dependence.

In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry revealed he had relapsed more than sixty times since 2001 and nearly died in 2018 following a drug-induced colon rupture.

Despite his struggles, Perry remained a vocal advocate for addiction awareness and treatment, turning his personal pain into a public mission to help others. The current legal proceedings offer a deeper—and darker—understanding of the forces at play behind his untimely death.