One of two California doctors charged in the overdose death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry, Dr. Mark Chavez of San Diego, pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally distributing ketamine.
Chavez, who appeared in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, faces up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing set for April. Another doctor, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, and co-defendant Jasveen Sangha, known as the "ketamine queen," have pleaded not guilty and are set to go to trial in March.
Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine, and the alleged middleman who got the drug from Jasveen Sangha, have both pleaded guilty. Authorities said Dr. Plasencia bought ketamine from Dr. Chavez and, in text messages to Chavez, wrote: "I wonder how much this moron will pay" when discussing the price to charge Perry.
In court on Wednesday, Chavez, 54, stood at a podium and answered "yes, your honor" to several questions. He admitted obtaining ketamine through a fraudulent prescription for another patient, knowing it was meant for Perry. Chavez also acknowledged giving the drug to Plasencia and understood it should only be administered under medical supervision with proper safety equipment nearby.
Court documents reveal that Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry at the actor's home and provided vials later injected by the assistant. Plasencia’s lawyer maintains his client properly prescribed and administered the drug.
Perry, 54, died in October 2023 from the "acute effects" of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub, per a December 2023 autopsy. The actor had long acknowledged his struggles with substance abuse, including during his time on "Friends."
Chavez pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors, accepting lesser charges for cooperating against Plasencia and Sangha. "He has accepted responsibility. He is cooperating," said Chavez's attorney, Matt Binninger. Chavez has given up his medical license and remains free on bond until sentencing.
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