A San Diego doctor charged in connection with Matthew Perry's fatal overdose pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine. Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, entered the plea to the felony in federal court in Los Angeles, becoming the third person to admit guilt in the aftermath of the Friends star's death last year, the AP reports. Prosecutors offered lesser charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their cooperation as they go after two targets they deem more responsible for the overdose death: another doctor and an alleged dealer they say was known as the "Ketamine Queen" of Los Angeles.
Chavez admitted in his plea agreement that he obtained ketamine from his former clinic and from a wholesale distributor where he submitted a fraudulent prescription. Under the law, he could get up to 10 years in prison when he's sentenced on April 2; he's likely to be sentenced to far less because of the plea and his cooperation with prosecutors. Chavez is free on bond until the sentencing. He has turned over his passport and agreed to surrender his medical license, among other conditions. His lawyer, Matthew Binninger, said after Chavez's first court appearance on Aug. 30 that he is "incredibly remorseful" and is "trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here."
Also working with federal prosecutors are Perry's assistant, who admitted to helping him obtain and inject ketamine, and a Perry acquaintance, who admitted to acting as a drug messenger and middleman. The three are helping prosecutors as they go after their main targets: Dr. Salvador Plasencia, charged with illegally selling ketamine to Perry in the month before his death, and Jasveen Sangha, alleged to be a dealer who sold the actor the lethal dose. Both have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
- Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that 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 that has become increasingly common.
- Perry began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before the actor's death, he found Plasencia, who in turn allegedly asked Chavez to obtain the drug for him. According to court documents, Plasencia and Chavez mocked Perry in text messages, with PIasencia saying, "I wonder how much this moron will pay." The two met up the same day and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said.
(More
Matthew Perry stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
