California doctor Mark Chavez accepted a deal and pleaded guilty in federal court in connection with Matthew Perry’s accidental overdose death last year.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that Perry died from the acute effects of the drug ketamine after being found unresponsive in a pool at his home in Pacific Palisades.
Chavez, 54, pleaded guilty on Oct. 2 in federal court in Los Angeles. He is one of five people charged in connection to Perry’s death.
Here’s what to know about Chavez and his involvement with the “Friends” star.
What was Chavez charged with in Perry’s death?
Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry. He admitted to knowingly obtaining the drug for the actor, who prosecutors said had become addicted to ketamine.
His attorney said Chavez is cooperating with investigators and could become a witness in the trials of Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha next year.
Plasencia has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, while Sangha, whom prosecutors nicknamed the “Ketamine Queen,” has pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
The trials for Sangha and Plasencia are scheduled for March 2025.
What else do we know about Chavez’s connection to Perry?
The San Diego doctor admitted to supplying Plasencia with ketamine that was then sold to Perry, according to Chavez’s plea agreement.
Chavez also admitted to submitting a fraudulent prescription to obtain the ketamine. He wrote a prescription in another person’s name without that person’s knowledge to obtain the drug, according to court documents.
A text exchange between Chavez and Plasencia from Sept. 30, 2023, includes Plasencia writing, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Let’s find out” in reference to Perry, court documents say.
Chavez sold Plasencia at least four vials of liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges in September 2023. That same day, Plasencia injected Perry with the drug and then advised Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, about how to administer the drug, per the court filing.
In another exchange between Chavez and Plasencia on Oct. 2, 2023, Plasencia wrote ahead of a meeting with Perry that “(i)f today goes well we may have repeat business.” Chavez then encouraged Plasencia to sell Perry the ketamine lozenges, according to court documents.
The court filing also alleges Chavez and Plasencia met up on other occasions in which Chavez sold him multiple vials of liquid ketamine.
Iwamasa, 60, and Erik Fleming, 54, an acquaintance of Perry’s, have also taken plea deals and await their sentencing.
What has Chavez said about the charges against him?
Chavez’s attorney, Matthew C. Binninger, released a statement in court on his behalf.
“He’s incredibly remorseful what happened, not just because it happened to Matthew Perry but because it happened to a patient. He’s trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here.”
Will Chavez go to prison after pleading guilty?
Despite taking a plea deal, Chavez still faces up to a 10-year prison sentence and $500,000 fine when he is sentenced on April 2, 2025.