Doctor charged in Matthew Perry’s death expected to plead guilty

On October 2, 2024By Rgal Nv

LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of two doctors charged in the investigation into Matthew Perry’s death is expected to plead guilty Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court to conspiring to distribute ketamine, a surgical anesthetic.

Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, signed a plea deal with prosecutors in August and would be the third person to plead guilty following the “Friends” star’s fatal overdose last year .

Prosecutors have offered lesser charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their cooperation as they go after two targets they say are more responsible for the overdose deaths: another doctor and an alleged drug dealer that they say they are known as the “Ketamine Queen” of Los Angeles.

Chávez is free on bail after surrendering his passport and renouncing his medical license, among other conditions.

His lawyer, Matthew Binninger, said after Chavez’s first court appearance on Aug. 30 that he was “incredibly remorseful” and was “trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened.” ‘is produced here’.

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

The three are helping prosecutors in their prosecution of Dr. Salvador Plasencia, accused of illegally selling ketamine to Perry in the month before his death, and Jasveen Sangha, a woman who authorities say sold to the actor the lethal dose of ketamine. Both have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

Chavez admitted in his plea agreement that he obtained ketamine from his former clinic and from a wholesaler where he submitted a fraudulent prescription.

After pleading guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced.

Matthew Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28, 2023. The medical examiner... — Matthew Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death.

Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death. The actor was using the drug through his regular doctor as part of a legal but unauthorized treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common.

Perry began reaching for more ketamine than his doctor was giving him. About a month before the actor’s death, he found Plasencia, who in turn asked Chávez to get him the drugs.

“I wonder how much this idiot is going to pay,” Chávez texted Plasencia. The two men met the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine.

After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia asked Chavez if he could continue supplying them so they could become Perry’s go-to.

Perry has struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his days 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 the hit NBC sitcom.