- Friday, October 04, 2024
Perry died at age 54 in October 2023, with an autopsy report listing “acute effects” of ketamine as a contributing factor to his drowning
By: India Weekly
A CALIFORNIA doctor, Dr Mark Chavez, has pleaded guilty to illegally distributing ketamine, a drug linked to the overdose death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry.
The plea was entered in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and Chavez now faces up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for April.
Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, has already admitted to injecting Perry with the drug, while an alleged middleman pleaded guilty to obtaining ketamine from another defendant, Jasveen Sangha, known as the “ketamine queen.”
Dr Salvador Plasencia, another doctor implicated in the case, has pleaded not guilty, with his trial set for March alongside Sangha.
Authorities have stated that Plasencia bought ketamine from Chavez and administered it to Perry at the actor’s home.
Chavez admitted to obtaining the drug with a fraudulent prescription for another patient, and acknowledged knowing it was intended for Perry. Chavez also acknowledged providing ketamine to Plasencia, aware that it should be used only under medical supervision.
Perry died at age 54 in October 2023, with an autopsy report listing “acute effects” of ketamine as a contributing factor to his drowning. The actor, who publicly spoke about his decades-long struggle with substance abuse, died at his home in Los Angeles.
Chavez’s guilty plea came as part of an agreement with prosecutors, who offered lesser charges in exchange for his cooperation in their case against Plasencia and Sangha. Chavez has since relinquished his medical licence and remains free on bond until his sentencing.
“He has accepted responsibility. He is cooperating,” said his attorney, Matt Binninger, in court.
