A California physician has avoided a prison sentence for his role in a scheme to supply the anaesthetic ketamine to the late actor Matthew Perry in the months leading up to his fatal overdose.
Sentencing in Los Angeles Federal Court
On Tuesday, 2 October 2024, Dr Mark Chavez, 55, was sentenced by US District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles. The judge ordered Chavez to serve eight months of home confinement, followed by three years of supervised release. He will also be required to complete 300 hours of community service.
Before the sentence was delivered, Chavez addressed the court, expressing sympathy for Perry's family. He stated that having recently lost a loved one himself, he understood the grief caused by the actor's death. "I just want to say my heart goes out to the Perry family," Chavez said.
The Scheme and Co-Conspirator
Chavez had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He admitted to obtaining the drug from a wholesale distributor under false pretences and providing it to another doctor, Dr Salvador Plasencia.
Plasencia, who was sentenced earlier in October to two-and-a-half years in prison, had been selling ketamine directly to Matthew Perry. Court filings revealed that Plasencia texted Chavez, calling Perry a "moron" who could be exploited for money, admitting he took advantage of the struggling addict.
Chavez met Plasencia between San Diego and Los Angeles to hand over the illicitly obtained ketamine. In total, he admitted to supplying 22 5ml vials of ketamine and nine ketamine lozenges.
Legal Distinctions and Fallout
Chavez's legal team emphasised his early cooperation with investigators and his decision to voluntarily surrender his medical licence ahead of his detention hearing. His attorney, Matthew Binninger, argued these were "real steps that someone takes toward accountability" and called the final sentence a "fair and just outcome."
Matthew Perry, 54, was found dead at his home on 28 October 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled his death was primarily caused by the "acute effects of ketamine." The Friends star had been legally receiving ketamine infusion therapy, an off-label treatment for depression and anxiety, under the care of a regular doctor.
However, about a month before his death, seeking larger quantities of the drug, Perry connected with Plasencia, who then enlisted Chavez to procure the ketamine.
Chavez is the second of five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perry's death to be sentenced. Judge Garnett has indicated she will ensure the sentences for all involved are proportionate when the remaining three are sentenced in the coming months.
