A doctor charged in connection with Friends star Matthew Perry’s death is expected to plead guilty in court on Wednesday (October 2) to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine.
Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego is set to appear in a federal court in Los Angeles after signing a plea agreement with prosecutors in August.
He, along with Dr. Salvador Plasencia, is one of two doctors charged and would be the third person to plead guilty in the aftermath of the star’s fatal overdose last year.
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 a woman who is an alleged dealer that they say is known as the “ketamine queen” of Los Angeles.
Perry was discovered dead on October 28 in the outdoor hot tub at his home in Los Angeles by his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. It was later deemed that he died from the “acute effects of ketamine”.
The Canadian-born star, who played Chandler Bing in hit US sitcom Friends, had been open about suffering with drink and alcohol addictions in the past.
He was said to be seeking treatment for depression and anxiety when he became addicted to intravenous ketamine.
He had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for the condition that has become increasingly common, but began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him.
About a month before Perry’s death, he found Plasencia, who in turn asked Chavez to obtain the drug for him which was then distributed via Iwamasa.
Iwamasa previously pleaded guilty on August 7 to conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death – admitting to “repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training”.
His sentencing has been set for November 6.
During the last few weeks of his life, Perry “turned to street dealer” Erik Fleming who is said to have sourced ketamine from the “ketamine queen”.
Fleming pleaded guilty on August 8 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
He is set to be sentenced on October 30.
