Matthew Perry’s drug-related death: Accused doctor pleads guilty

Following the arrest of five people in connection with the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, one of two doctors accused has admitted his guilt in court. The 54-year-old doctor Mark Chavez pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to obtaining the anesthetic ketamine for Perry, as consistently reported. The sentence is expected to be announced next April.

The judge responsible had previously banned him from continuing to work as a doctor. Chavez is free on $50,000 bail. He faces a prison sentence of up to ten years.

Death of Matthew Perry: Five people under investigation

The doctor’s lawyer recently said his client is incredibly remorseful. He wants to do the right thing and cooperate with the public prosecutor. According to the indictment, the San Diego doctor is said to have sold a colleague in Los Angeles a large amount of ketamine for Perry using, among other things, a forged prescription.

In mid-August, police and public prosecutors made serious allegations against five people arrested, including doctors, dealers and an assistant to the actor. The manhunt centered on the question of how the actor got hold of the anesthetic ketamine, which he had in unusually high levels in his blood at the time of his death. The investigation “uncovered an extensive criminal underground network,” said prosecutor Martin Estrada. The defendants exploited Perry’s addiction problems to enrich themselves.

Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa has already admitted his guilt for obtaining ketamine for Perry and injecting him with the drug without medical knowledge. He faces up to 15 years in prison. The sentence is due to be imposed in November. Suspected drug trafficker Erik Fleming also made a deal with prosecutors to receive a lighter sentence.

Two defendants have pleaded not guilty

The two other defendants are the doctor Dr. Salvador Plasencia from Los Angeles and Jasveen Sangha, known in Hollywood circles as the “ketamine queen,” are said to have procured large quantities of ketamine from Perry on the black market last fall. Both have pleaded not guilty. The trial against her is scheduled for March 2025.

Matthew Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home last October. He had reportedly undergone ketamine therapy under medical supervision for depression and anxiety. He is also said to have obtained the drug on the black market.

In the 1990s, Perry became famous for his role as sarcastic joker Chandler Bing in the globally popular television series “Friends”. In his autobiography published last year, Perry reported having struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years.

Ketamine has been a proven anesthetic for decades. Some partygoers also use the drug as an illegal club drug. Likewise, people with treatment-resistant depression can be treated with ketamine under certain conditions.