Dr. Mark Chavez, a doctor involved in the tragic overdose death of Friends actor Matthew Perry, pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles court. Chavez, 54, was charged with conspiring to distribute ketamine, a powerful anesthetic. The actor, best known for his role as Chandler Bing, passed away in October 2023 due to a ketamine overdose at his home in southern California.
Chavez ran a ketamine clinic and supplied ketamine lozenges to another doctor, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who in turn provided them to Perry. According to prosecutors, Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, also helped coordinate the purchases, with more than 50,000 dollars’ worth of the drug supplied to the actor in the weeks leading up to his death.
Chavez admitted to using fraudulent prescriptions to obtain ketamine from both his clinic and a wholesale distributor. His guilty plea allows for a reduced charge as he cooperates with the ongoing investigation, but he still faces up to 10 years in prison. Chavez has surrendered his medical license and passport, and his sentencing is scheduled for April 2025.
