Dr Mark Chavez to become the third person to plead guilty in the Matthew Perry Ketamine overdose case

Dr. Mark Chavez from San Diego was expected to appear in a federal court in Los Angeles on August 30 after reaching a plea deal in connection to the death of Friends star Matthew Perry in 2023. However, according to Fox Carolina, he would enter the guilty plea at a later date, which is not known yet. Chavez is one of the two doctors charged in this case and the third person to plead guilty.

Friday’s hearing was expected to be procedural, in which charges would have been read and a bond would supposedly be set for $50,000. The charges involve conspiring to distribute ketamine, a surgical anesthetic. As reported by The Guardian on August 30, Dr. Mark Chavez reached a plea agreement with the prosecutors earlier this month.

As per the agreement, Chavez allegedly obtained the drug from his previous clinic and a wholesale distributor by providing a counterfeit prescription. He could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison after a judgment is reached. Reportedly, he also agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors in their pursuit to find others involved in selling the drug to Matthew Perry.

Other than him, the late actor’s assistant has been working with the US attorney’s office after he confessed to helping Perry get and inject the drug. Previously, one of the actor’s acquaintances confessed to being the messenger and middleman in the drug case.

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Two more individuals are awaiting trial in connection to Matthew Perry’s death

The main targets in the Matthew Perry Ketamine overdose case remain Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha. Plasencia had been booked with selling the drug to the actor a month before his death, while Sangha is reported accused of selling a lethal dose of the drug. As of now, both individuals are awaiting trial and have pleaded not guilty.

Dr. Plasencia is reported to have been charged seven times for distributing ketamine. Additionally, two more charges have been laid against him for falsifying records after the actor’s death. Both Plasencia and Sangha are scheduled to return to court in the upcoming week. Although they have separate trial dates set for October, prosecutors are aiming for a combined trial, which may be postponed until next year.

About a month before his death, Matthew Perry reportedly approached Dr. Plasencia seeking more ketamine than his doctor would prescribe. Dr. Plasencia then asked Dr. Mark Chavez to get the drug for him and keep supplying it constantly. The two doctors allegedly met one day and exchanged about four vials of the drug. Dr. Plasencia reportedly sold them to Perry for $4,500. On August 15, US attorney Martin Estrada said:

“The doctors preyed on Perry’s history of addiction in the final months of his life last year to provide him with ketamine in amounts they knew were dangerous.”

On October 28, 2023, Matthew Perry was found dead by his assistant. As per the medical examiner, ketamine and subsequent drowning were the main causes behind his death. The actor had been legally using the drug through his regular doctor for his off-label treatment of depression. He had been battling with addiction for many years, dating back to the time on Friends.