A physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, has been sentenced to eight months of home confinement and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a scheme to provide ketamine to actor Matthew Perry prior to Perry’s fatal overdose. The sentencing was delivered by Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles.
During the sentencing hearing, Dr. Chavez expressed his condolences to the Perry family, acknowledging the impact of Perry’s death. Chavez had obtained ketamine and supplied it to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who had previously received a 2½-year prison sentence for selling ketamine to Perry leading up to his death.
Chavez’s legal team highlighted his cooperation with investigators and his voluntary surrender of his medical license as signs of early acceptance of responsibility. Attorney Matthew Binninger described these actions as steps towards being accountable and deemed the sentence a fair and just outcome for the case.
Matthew Perry had been legally using ketamine as a treatment for depression, but turned to Plasencia after his regular doctor refused to provide the desired quantities. Plasencia took advantage of Perry’s vulnerability as an addict and referred to him derogatorily in text messages to Chavez.
Dr. Chavez admitted to acquiring ketamine through deceptive means from a wholesale distributor and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He has not been in custody and will also be required to perform 300 hours of community service.
Chavez is the second individual among five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perry’s death at the age of 54 in 2023. Perry was discovered deceased on October 28, 2023, with the medical examiner attributing ketamine as the primary cause of death. The actor’s misuse of ketamine, obtained through fraudulent prescriptions from Chavez, contributed to his demise.
The remaining three defendants who have entered guilty pleas will face sentencing in separate hearings in the upcoming months, with Judge Garnett overseeing to ensure coherence in the overall sentencing process.