A year after Matthew Perry's death, legal issues continue to make headlines. In a recent turn of events, Mark Chavez, a 54-year-old doctor from San Diego, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of attempting to distribute ketamine. This was the strong anesthetic linked to Perry's death. He’s one of five people facing charges related to the actor’s passing.
Perry was discovered unresponsive in his hot tub at home in Pacific Palisades on October 28, 2023. The LA County Medical Examiner's Office had confirmed that his death was caused by the immediate effects of ketamine. Federal prosecutors have reportedly alleged that the people involved were part of a shady network that took advantage of Perry's ongoing battle with addiction to make money.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the following at a recent press conference:
"These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves."
Matthew Perry's doctor Mark Chavez pleads guilty
Mark Chavez's choice to plead guilty is a turning point in the case of Perry's death. Prosecutors say Chavez gave ketamine to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who sold it to the late FRIENDS star. Chavez, who used to run a clinic, confessed to writing fake prescriptions and buying vials under false names. As part of his plea deal, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
At his arraignment on August 30, 2024, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth let Chavez go free on a $50,000 bond. However, he has to follow strict rules, like giving up his medical license and passport, as per a Deadline report.
Chavez's attorney, Matthew Benninger, stressed upon his client's remorse:
"He has already entered into an interim suspension of his medical license, so he effectively cannot practice medicine at this point... My client wants to do the right thing."
Kenneth Iwamasa, who was Perry's live-in assistant, and Eric Fleming, admitted to their role in helping procure and use the ketamine that led to Matthew Perry's death.
Shocking revelations in Matthew Perry's death investigation
The probe into Matthew Perry's death has revealed unsettling details about how people close to him took advantage of his struggles. Text messages between Dr. Plasencia and Chavez reveal that they didn’t seem to care about Perry’s well-being.
In one conversation, as reported by outlets like NBC, Plasencia called Perry a "moron" while they were texting about how much cash they could get from him.
“Let’s find out,” he wrote.
Prosecutors have maintained that Plasencia had sold Perry ketamine for $4,500 and Chavez helped get the drug. On October 28, 2023, the day Perry died, Iwamasa is said to have injected him several times with ketamine, provided by Fleming and Jasveen Sangha, aka the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood. They pleaded not guilty, but are set for trial in October 2024.
The DEA has mentioned that these trials might get rolled into one as they keep investigating. Even though he publicly said he was staying sober, Perry's last few months witnessed him use ketamine frequently. On the day of his death, the amount of ketamine in his system was way more than one would have on account of anesthesia being administered during surgery.
As a senior law enforcement source told Deadline:
“This is a very difficult case to piece together.”
Matthew Perry's 2022 book, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, shared his journey with substance abuse and his dedication to supporting others going through the same battles.
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