Matthew Perry’s death: Doctor pleads guilty to ketamine charge

A third person has pleaded guilty in “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s death.
On Wednesday, Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to one count of conspiracy to distribute the dissociative anesthetic drug ketamine. The charge comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, or a fine of $500,000, “or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest,” according to the plea agreement, filed Aug. 15, which was reviewed by USA TODAY.
Chavez – who has agreed to hand over his passport, restrict travel to central and Southern California, refrain from possessing illegal drugs and marijuana, and stop practicing medicine, per Chavez’s conditions of release – is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2025, per NBC News.
USA TODAY has reached out to Chavez’s lawyer for comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California did not respond to a request for comment.
Previously, a judge had allowed Chavez to be released on a $50,000 bond on Aug. 30. Outside the courthouse that day, his lawyer, Matthew Binninger, said Chavez was “incredibly remorseful” and “doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation.”
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U.S. attorneys had accused the San Diego-based Chavez, who used to operate a ketamine clinic, of illegally obtaining ketamine that was sold to Perry by presenting false information and writing a prescription without an unnamed patient’s consent, according to Chavez’s plea agreement.
Chavez and his lawyer signed the agreement on July 22.
Perry, who was open about his struggles with addiction, was declared dead at his Los Angeles-area home on Oct. 28, 2023, after responding officers discovered the 54-year-old unconscious in his jacuzzi. His live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, placed the 911 call.
More than a month later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office ruled Perry’s death an accident, with the primary cause being “the acute effects of ketamine.” Five people have been charged in connection with Perry’s death.
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Leading up to Perry’s death, Iwamasa purchased at least $55,000 worth of ketamine for the actor, attorneys have said. He pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
Erik Fleming, described as Perry’s acquaintance, admitted he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
Officials allege Jasveen Sangha sold Fleming the ketamine that led to Perry’s death. Sangha, who is referred to as the “The Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood in U.S. attorneys’ filings, faces nine criminal charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death and maintaining a drug-involved premises.
Sangha, who has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and Dr. Salvador Plasencia are accused of “distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actor’s life.” Plasencia faces 10 total criminal counts and has pleaded not guilty.
Plasencia, who operates Malibu Canyon Urgent Care in Calabasas, California, will be returning to his practice, his attorney told USA TODAY on Aug. 21.
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U.S. attorneys claim Chavez transferred 22 vials of ketamine and nine ketamine lozenges, which were fraudulently obtained, to Plasencia for sale to Perry. Chavez “was fully aware that selling vials of ketamine to a patient for self-administration was illegal,” the plea agreement reads.
Chavez “similarly knew it was illegal to obtain a prescription of a controlled substance in the name of a patient without the patient’s knowledge or consent.”
Around September and October 2023, Plasencia contacted Chavez to obtain ketamine for Perry, who was “willing to pay a premium to acquire ketamine,” per U.S. attorneys. Over several weeks, Chavez allegedly submitted false information to obtain ketamine, which would be sold to Perry via Plasencia, from wholesale distributors.
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Despite knowing that Plasencia “had little, if any, experience treating patients with ketamine,” Chavez agreed to transfer vials of ketamine to him in exchange for money. The ketamine lozenges Chavez sent to Plasencia, attorneys say, were obtained using a fraudulent prescription that listed the name of a patient who had no knowledge of the situation.
At first, Chavez gave Plasencia “at least four vials of liquid ketamine,” ketamine lozenges, gloves and syringes,” per the plea agreement. After meeting with Perry — and describing it as “like a bad movie” — Plasencia paid Chavez a portion of his profits.
On Oct. 2, 2023, after Plasencia told Chavez there was a chance they had a “repeat business” opportunity with Perry, Chavez allegedly replied: “Let’s do everything we can to make it happen.” While communicating with ketamine wholesalers, Chavez allegedly lied about the purpose and use of the anesthetic he was trying to obtain while also fraudulently stating a former workplace still employed him.
Around Oct. 12, 2023, Chavez learned the Medical Board of California had launched an investigation into an allegation that he’d taken ketamine from his former clinic. He then informed Plasencia of this and stated he wanted to do any future business together “on the up and up,” attorneys say.
Upon seeing the news of Perry’s death, Chavez called Plasencia to inquire whether he thought the actor might have died from the ketamine they distributed, according to Chavez’s plea agreement, with Plasencia allegedly replying that he was not concerned due to not seeing Perry for several weeks.
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The ketamine that led to Perry’s death was allegedly provided by Fleming in Sangha, according to attorneys. On Oct. 10, 2023, assistant Iwamasa contacted Fleming to obtain ketamine, and he conspired with Sangha to acquire and sell the anesthetic to Perry, attorneys say.
On Oct. 24, 2023, “despite less than a week earlier telling a patient at his clinic that (Perry) was too far gone and spiraling in his addiction,” Plasencia ordered 10 vials of ketamine from a wholesaler to sell to Perry, according to a grand jury indictment against Plasencia and Sangha. That same day, Fleming also delivered 25 ketamine vials purchased from Sangha to Iwamasa at Perry’s house.
In the ensuing days, Iwamasa allegedly injected Perry with six shots of ketamine daily. On Oct. 28, 2023, he injected “at least three shots of the ketamine” obtained from Fleming and Sangha, “which resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of” Perry, the indictment alleges.
(This story was updated to add new information and a photo.)
If your or someone you know is struggling with substance or alcohol use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.