In Los Angeles, Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, is scheduled to appear in a federal court on Friday and is expected to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine, an anesthetic. Chavez, from San Diego, reached a plea deal with prosecutors in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry. Perry, known for his role on “Friends,” died from a ketamine overdose last year.
Chavez agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their investigation, which also involves Perry’s assistant and an acquaintance who have admitted their involvement in obtaining and providing ketamine to the actor. The main targets of the investigation are Dr. Salvador Plasencia, accused of selling ketamine to Perry before his death, and Jasveen Sangha, who allegedly supplied the fatal dose of ketamine. Both have pleaded not guilty and await trial.
Chavez confessed to obtaining ketamine from his former clinic and a wholesale distributor through a fraudulent prescription. He faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty. Perry was discovered dead by his assistant, with ketamine named as the primary cause of death by the medical examiner.
Perry had been using ketamine for depression treatment, prescribed by his regular doctor. Seeking more ketamine beyond his prescription, Perry turned to Plasencia, who enlisted Chavez to acquire the drug. The transactions between Plasencia, Chavez, and Perry involved multiple vials of ketamine exchanged for $4,500, with plans to continue supplying the drugs to Perry.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada revealed that the doctors exploited Perry’s addiction history to supply him with dangerous amounts of ketamine. Plasencia faces multiple distribution charges and accusations of falsifying records post-Perry’s death. Plasencia and Sangha are expected back in court soon, with separate trial dates set for October, but prosecutors are pushing for a joint trial likely to be rescheduled for next year.
Matthew Perry battled addiction for years, dating back to his time on “Friends,” where he played the role of Chandler Bing. The popular sitcom aired for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004, featuring an ensemble cast that included Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.