Matthew Perry death: Second doctor sentenced for illegal ketamine supply

Another doctor connected to Matthew Perry’s death has been sentenced.

A California physician was ordered Tuesday, December 16, to serve eight months of home confinement for illegally supplying ketamine to the Friends star, whose 2023 fatal overdose shocked the world.

Dr. Mark Chavez, 55, a former San Diego-based doctor, pleaded guilty in October to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He surrendered his medical license the following month. Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett also sentenced Chavez to 300 hours of community service.

As part of his plea agreement, Chavez admitted that he sold ketamine to another physician, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 44. Plasencia then supplied the drug to Perry, though prosecutors said Chavez did not provide the specific dose that ultimately killed the actor.

Plasencia was sentenced earlier this month to two-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of unlawful drug distribution. He and Chavez are the first two of five defendants to be sentenced in connection with Perry’s ketamine-induced death.

Three others are still awaiting sentencing: Jasveen Sangha, 42, a dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen”; middleman Erik Fleming, 56; and Perry’s former personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 60. Sangha admitted to supplying the fatal dose, while Iwamasa acknowledged injecting Perry and later discovering him face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023.

An autopsy concluded Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, which caused him to lose consciousness and drown. The actor, 54, had long been open about his struggles with addiction, including during his years as Chandler Bing on Friends.

Federal officials said Perry initially received ketamine legally to treat depression and anxiety but later turned to illicit sources after clinics refused to increase his dosage, accusing multiple providers of exploiting his dependency for profit.