JUST IN: Matthew Perry’s ‘Ketamine Doctor’ Pleads Guilty for His Role in Actor’s Overdose Death
The investigation on the fatal overdose of ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry is yielding its first results, as a California doctor has today (2) entered a guilty plea for his role in the actor’s death.
Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28, after a long and well-documented battle with addiction that lasted years, dating back to his time on ‘Friends,’ when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation playing the role of Chandler Bing.
Daily Mail reported:
“Mark Chaves, 53, arrived at a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, where he formally pleaded guilty to illegally distributing ketamine to Perry. The judge accepted the plea.
He faces up to 10 years in prison, even with a plea deal. He will be sentenced on April 2, 2025.”
Even before today’s court hearing, Chaves had agreed to stop practicing medicine and handed his passport to authorities.
Prosecutors allege that he sold ketamine to another Doctor, Salvador Plasencia, who is in turn accused of providing them to Perry.
Plasencia is now facing separate charges, and he has pleaded not guilty to those.
Read: Multiple Arrests Made in Connection to Actor Matthew Perry’s Death
“Plasencia is accused of texting Chavez ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay’ when he learned Perry was seeking ketamine.
Prosecutors offered lesser charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their cooperation as they go after two targets they deem more responsible for the overdose death: another doctor and an alleged dealer that they say was known as ‘ketamine queen’ of Los Angeles.”
Chaves is allegedly ‘incredibly remorseful’, and wants to do ‘everything in his power to right the wrong’, according to his lawyer Matthew Binninger.
Perry was found dead by his personal assistant, who has administered an injection with a large dose of the drug.
It was later ruled that the primary cause of death was a ketamine overdose.
The actor was using the drug in a legal – but off-label – treatment for depression that has become increasingly common.
Read more:
You can email Paul Serran here, and read more of Paul Serran's articles here.