Doctor accused of giving Matthew Perry ketamine before his death agrees to plead guilty

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A doctor charged with giving actor Matthew Perry ketamine with the month leading up to the "Friends" star's overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Monday.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

They said the plea carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and Plasencia is expected to enter the plea in the coming weeks.

Plasencia and a woman accused of being a ketamine dealer had been the primary targets of the prosecution, after three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for their cooperation.

Plasencia had been scheduled to start trial in August.

Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled ketamine was the primary cause of death.

The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression.