A San Diego doctor charged in connection with Matthew Perry鈥檚 fatal overdose pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine.
Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, entered the plea in federal court in Los Angeles, becoming the third person to admit guilt in the aftermath of the 鈥淔riends鈥 star鈥檚 death last year.
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 that they say was known as 鈥渒etamine queen鈥 of Los Angeles.
Chavez is free on bond after turning over his passport and surrendering his medical license, among other conditions.
His lawyer Matthew Binninger said after Chavez's first court appearance on Aug. 30 that he is 鈥渋ncredibly remorseful鈥 and is 鈥渢rying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here.鈥
Also working with federal prosecutors are Perry鈥檚 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.
Dr. Mark Chavez, a physician from San Diego is charged in connection with actor Matthew Perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose. (Damian Dovarganes / AP Photo)
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.
He could get up to 10 years in prison when sentenced.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.
鈥淚 wonder how much this moron will pay,鈥 Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court filings from prosecutors. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said.
After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry鈥檚 鈥済o-to," prosecutors said.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in announcing the charges Aug. 15 that 鈥渢he doctors preyed on Perry鈥檚 history of addiction in the final months of his life last year to provide him with ketamine in amounts they knew were dangerous.鈥
Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on 鈥淔riends,鈥 when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC鈥檚 megahit sitcom.
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