Doctor who helped supply ketamine to Matthew Perry pleads guilty to drug charge

"Are you pleading guilty because you did the things the prosecutors described?" the judge asked Dr. Mark Chavez, 54. "Yes, your honor," he said.

Oct 3, 2024 - 08:00

Doctor who helped supply ketamine to Matthew Perry pleads guilty to drug charge

By ANDREW DALTON and KAITLYN HUAMANI

A San Diego doctor became the third person to plead guilty in the case of Matthew Perry’s fatal drug overdose as prosecutors collect cooperators in an attempt to convict two bigger targets they say are responsible for the death of the “Friends” star.

Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, entered the plea Wednesday to a felony count of conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine in federal court in Los Angeles, after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors in July.

Chavez agreed to cooperate as the U.S. Attorneys Office pursues more serious charges against Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who prosecutors say gave ketamine directly to Perry. The other major target in the investigation is Jasmine Sangha, an alleged dealer who prosecutors say was known as the “ketamine queen” of Los Angeles and supplied the doses that killed Perry last year.

Dr. Mark Chavez, a physician from San Diego, left, who is charged in connection with actor Matthew Perry’s death from an accidental ketamine overdose, and his criminal defense attorney Matthew Binninger arrive for a change of plea hearing at the United States Courthouse in Los Angeles, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Chavez stood in court with his lawyer and answered dozens of questions from Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett. He agreed to give up his right to trial and other rights.

He listened to prosecutors as they read through every instance of him meeting with Plasencia between San Diego and Los Angeles to hand off ketamine he got using fraudulent prescriptions. In all, he admitted to supplying 22 5-milliliter vials of ketamine and nine ketamine lozenges.

Chavez cleared his throat when a prosecutor described Perry’s death.

“Are you pleading guilty because you did the things the prosecutors described?” Garnett asked Chavez.

“Yes, your honor,” he said.

Actor Matthew Perry poses for a portrait in promotion of his role in the upcoming CBS network comedy series “The Odd Couple” on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015 in New York. (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP)

FILE – Matthew Perry arrives at the premiere of “Ride” at The Arclight Hollywood Theater in Los Angeles. Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing in the hit series “Friends,” has died. He was 54. The Emmy-nominated actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ, which was the first to report the news. Both outlets cited unnamed sources confirming Perry’s death. His publicists and other representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File)

FILE – David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc pose after “Friends” won outstanding comedy series at the 54th Primetime Emmy Awards Sept. 22, 2002, in Los Angeles. Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing has died. The actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ, which was the first to report the news. Both outlets cited unnamed sources confirming Perry’s death. His publicists and other representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

Jessica Biel, left, applauds as Matthew Perry hears of his nomination at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., Thursday, morning Dec. 14, 2006. Perry was nominated for best actor in a television miniseries or movie for his role in "The Ron Clark Story." Nominations were announced in 25 categories for the Golden Globe Awards, airing live Monday, Jan. 15, 2007, at the Beverly Hilton. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Chavez remains free on bond until his April 2 sentencing. He has turned over his passport and agreed to surrender his medical license, among other conditions.

The judge told him that she is not bound by any agreement or recommendation and can still sentence him to the full 10 years allowed by law. But he is likely to be sentenced to far less time because of the plea and his cooperation with prosecutors.

His lawyer Matthew Binninger spoke only briefly to reporters outside the courthouse.

“Mark entered his plea of guilty, and that’s now public record,” Binninger said. “You accept responsibility — and then you set sentencing.”

Also working with federal prosecutors are Perry’s assistant, who admitted to helping him obtain and inject ketamine, and a Perry acquaintance, who admitted to acting as a drug messenger and middleman.

Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression that has become increasingly common.

Perry began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before the actor’s death, he found Plasencia, who in turn allegedly asked Chavez to obtain the drug for him.

“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court filings from prosecutors. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said.

After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry’s “go-to,” prosecutors said.

While reading allegations in court Wednesday, prosecutors described a text exchange in which Plasencia asked Chavez if he approved of what they were doing.

“Depends on your tolerance for risk,” Chavez said.

When Plasencia asked him if he was interested in starting a ketamine clinic, Chavez said he might be on board, so long as there was no “shady stuff.”

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in announcing the charges Aug. 15 that “the doctors preyed on Perry’s history of addiction in the final months of his life last year to provide him with ketamine in amounts they knew were dangerous.”

Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit sitcom.