Mark Chavez, one of the two doctors implicated in the death of actor Matthew Perry, has accepted a plea deal that could see him sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, according to the Associated Press.
Chavez appeared in the Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine after he sold the drug to Dr. Salvador Placensia, who allegedly provided it to Perry’s longtime assistant, Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Iwamasa.
Iwamasa had confessed earlier to administering the fatal dose of ketamine to the Friends star on October 28, 2023.
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Perry had been undergoing ketamine therapy for years to manage his depression, a treatment he described in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, as being akin to “being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel.” However, it was the “acute effects of ketamine use” that ultimately led to Perry’s tragic drowning, according to authorities.
Doctor charged in Matthew Perry case released on $50k bond
Following Chavez’s guilty plea, US Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth ruled that he could remain free on a $50,000 unsecured bond, with several conditions attached. One of the key conditions is that Chavez must surrender his passport and his medical license.
Chavez’s attorney, Matt Binninger, told the press, “He is doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation, and he’s incredibly remorseful.”
He then added, “It’s a shame what happened to the ‘universally beloved’ Perry,” and assured that Chavez would “do the right thing” and continue to cooperate with authorities going forward.
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Besides Chavez and Iwamasa, Dr. Salvador Placensia, Perry’s friend Erik Fleming, and Jasveen Sangha, known as the ‘Ketamine Queen,’ have also been arrested. They face a range of serious charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute, and altering and falsifying records.
US Attorney Martin Estrada addressed in a press conference following the arrests: “These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyways. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his wellbeing.”
