Doctor pleading guilty in connection to Matthew Perry’s overdose death

Dr. Mark Chavez of California pleaded guilty in a federal court to charges related to the fatal overdose of “Friends” star Matthew Perry. Chavez conspired to distribute ketamine to Perry, who was found dead in his Los Angeles home last year. Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison and has surrendered his passport and agreed not to practice medicine. He sold ketamine to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who then gave it to Perry. Plasencia has pleaded not guilty. Chavez obtained the ketamine through fraudulent means and lied to distributors to sell it to Plasencia. Other individuals charged in connection with Perry’s death include his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and a friend, Erik Fleming, who have pleaded guilty. Jasveen Sangha, an alleged drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen,” has pleaded not guilty. The Drug Enforcement Administration chief has stated that all defendants played a key role in Perry’s death by improperly providing ketamine to him. Perry had been undergoing ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety, but the levels in his body at the time of death were dangerously high. The sentencing for Chavez will take place in April 2025, and he remains out on bond.

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