A doctor charged in the drug-related death of actor Matthew Perry has pleaded guilty in the case.
Dr Mark Chavez changed his plea to guilty in a Los Angeles court to a charge of conspiring to distribute the surgical anaesthetic ketamine.
Chavez, 54, operated a ketamine clinic and sold ketamine lozenges to Dr Salvador Plasencia, who supplied them to Perry, the star of NBC sitcom Friends.
In his plea agreement, Chavez admitted he obtained ketamine from both his former clinic and a wholesale distributor through a fraudulent prescription.
According to the indictment, the two medical doctors exchanged texts discussing how much they could charge Perry for vials of the drug, with one message reading: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Actor Matthew Perry’s drug-related death is being investigated by a doctor who has entered a guilty plea.
Dr Mark Chavez changed his plea to guilty in a Los Angeles court to a charge of conspiring to distribute the surgical anaesthetic ketamine.
A ketamine clinic operator, Chavez, 54, sold ketamine lozenges to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who then gave them to Perry, the star of the NBC sitcom Friends.
Perry’s death has five charges against people, including Chavez. In October 2023, the actor, 54, was discovered deceased in his southern California backyard jacuzzi.
A post-mortem analysis revealed that ketamine was present in his blood at high concentrations, indicating that the drug’s “acute effects” were what killed him.
Pain, anxiety, and depression are all treated with ketamine.
Chavez acknowledged in his plea deal that he used a fake prescription to get ketamine from a wholesale distributor as well as from his old clinic.
Prosecutors said Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, worked with the two doctors to provide the actor with more than $50,000 (£38,000) of ketamine in the weeks before his death.
“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” one of the texts that the two doctors sent each other about how much they could charge Perry for vials of the drug reads in the indictment. “.”.
Chavez may still spend up to 10 years in prison, but the plea enables him to enter a guilty plea to a charge that is less serious in exchange for his cooperation with the investigation.
“He’s taken ownership of the situation. He is co-operating,” his attorney told the court.
Chavez has turned over his passport and agreed to surrender his medical licence immediately.
Prior to his sentencing on April 2, 2025, he is free on bond.