Dr. Mark Chavez, one of two doctors implicated in the investigation surrounding Matthew Perry’s death, is set to plead guilty in federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The San Diego-based doctor, 54, faces charges of conspiring to distribute the anesthetic ketamine, a drug tied to the actor’s fatal overdose last year.
Chavez signed a plea deal with prosecutors in August. They have offered lesser charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their cooperation in pursuing the main targets of the investigation: Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, an alleged drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen” of Los Angeles.
Chavez is currently free on bond after surrendering his passport and medical license. His lawyer, Matthew Binninger, said following his client’s initial court appearance on August 30 that Chavez is “incredibly remorseful” and is “trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here.”
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Perry’s assistant and another acquaintance have also cooperated with federal authorities. The assistant admitted to helping Perry obtain and inject ketamine, while the acquaintance acknowledged acting as a middleman. Both are now aiding the prosecution against Plasencia and Sangha. The latter is accused of selling Perry the lethal dose of ketamine. Plasencia allegedly sold Perry ketamine just a month before his death. Both Plasencia and Sangha have pleaded not guilty and await trial.
Chavez admitted in his plea deal that he procured ketamine from his former clinic and a wholesale distributor using a fraudulent prescription. He faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
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Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom Friends, was found dead by his assistant on October 28, 2023. The medical examiner determined ketamine to be the primary cause of death. Perry had been using the drug as a legal, off-label treatment for depression, a practice that has become more common. However, Perry began seeking more ketamine than his regular doctor would provide, eventually connecting with Plasencia.
“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, referring to Perry. The two doctors met in Costa Mesa to exchange four vials of ketamine, with Plasencia later selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500. Plasencia then asked Chavez if he could continue supplying the drug, hoping to become Perry’s “go-to.”
Perry, who had a long history of addiction, rose to fame in the 1990s in Friends, which aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004. Despite his stardom, he struggled with substance abuse for much of his career.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.