- Doctor pleads guilty in Perry overdose case
- Sentencing set for April 2024
- Co-defendant trial scheduled for March
One of two California doctors charged in Friends star Matthew Perry’s overdose death has pled guilty to illegally dispensing ketamine.
Mark Chavez of San Diego entered the plea on Wednesday while appearing in US District Court in Los Angeles. His sentencing, set for April, could result in up to ten years in prison.
Salvador Plasencia, another physician involved in the case, has pleaded not guilty, as has co-defendant Jasveen Sangha, who officials claim was an illegal supplier of the drug and was known as the “ketamine queen”. The couple is set to go on trial in March.
Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s live-in personal aide who acknowledged injecting him with the substance, and the suspected middleman who claimed to have obtained ketamine from Sangha have already pleaded guilty to the allegations.
According to authorities, Plasencia bought ketamine from Chavez and wrote in text messages to Chavez about how much to bill Perry for the drug: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
On Wednesday, Chavez, 54, stood at a platform and said “Yes, Your Honour” to several questions.
The defendant admits to getting ketamine using a false prescription prepared for another patient, knowing the substance was intended for Perry.
He also admitted to giving Plasencia ketamine, a short-acting anaesthetic, and that he realized it should only be delivered under medical supervision with suitable safety equipment present.
According to prosecution records, Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry at his house and provided vials for the assistant to inject. Plasencia’s lawyer claims his client properly prescribed and gave ketamine to Perry.
Perry, 54, died in October 2023 from “acute effects” of ketamine and other variables that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub, according to an autopsy report from December 2023.
The actor had publicly admitted to having struggled with substance misuse for decades, even while playing Chandler Bing on the popular sitcom Friends.
From 1994 to 2004, he appeared in ten seasons of Friends with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.
The actor had been taking ketamine through his regular doctor as a legitimate but off-label treatment for depression, which has become increasingly popular.
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Perry started requesting more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before his death, the actor discovered Plasencia, who allegedly begged Chavez to procure the medication for him.
Chavez pleaded guilty after reaching an agreement with prosecutors, who offered him reduced penalties in exchange for his aid in the case against Plasencia and Sangha.
“He’s accepted responsibility. “He is cooperating,” Chavez’s attorney, Matt Binninger, stated in court.
Chavez has surrendered his medical license and is free on bond pending his sentence.
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