Dr. Mark Chavez, one of the two doctors charged in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry, is expected to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine. The 54-year-old San Diego-based doctor reached a plea agreement with prosecutors earlier this month, making him the third individual to plead guilty in relation to Perry’s fatal overdose last year.
Chavez has agreed to cooperate with authorities in their ongoing investigation, which includes targeting Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is accused of illegally selling ketamine to Perry in the weeks before his death, and Jasveen Sangha, alleged to be a dealer who sold the lethal dose to the actor. Both Plasencia and Sangha have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
According to his plea agreement, Chavez admitted to obtaining ketamine from his former clinic and through fraudulent prescriptions from a wholesale distributor. He is set to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, which could result in up to 10 years in prison when sentenced.
Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom "Friends," was found dead by his assistant on October 28. The medical examiner determined that ketamine was the primary cause of death. Perry had been using the drug as an off-label treatment for depression, a practice that has become more common. However, in the weeks leading up to his death, Perry sought additional supplies of ketamine beyond what his regular doctor would provide.
Prosecutors allege that Plasencia facilitated Perry’s access to the drug by enlisting Chavez to obtain it. Text messages between the two revealed Plasencia’s intent to profit, as he asked Chavez to keep supplying the drug to become Perry’s “go-to.” Plasencia later sold the ketamine to Perry for $4,500.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada criticized the doctors’ actions, stating that they preyed on Perry’s history of addiction in his final months. Plasencia faces seven counts of distributing ketamine and additional charges related to falsifying records following Perry's death. He and Sangha are set to appear in court next week, with separate trials scheduled for October, though prosecutors are seeking to combine them into a single trial next year.
Perry’s struggles with addiction were well-documented, dating back to his years on "Friends," where he starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004.
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