Saturday, August 31, 2024 - One of two doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death is expected to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute the surgical anaesthetic ketamine.
Dr Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, reached a plea agreement
with prosecutors earlier this month and would be the third person to plead
guilty in the aftermath of the Friends star’s fatal overdose last
year.
Chavez agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as they pursue
others, including the doctor Chavez worked with to sell ketamine to Perry. Also
working with the US attorney’s office are Perry’s assistant, who admitted to
helping him obtain and inject ketamine, and an acquaintance of the actor who
admitted to acting as a drug messenger and middleman.
The three are helping prosecutors as they go after their
main targets: Dr Salvador Plasencia, charged with illegally selling
ketamine to Perry in the month before his death, and Jasveen Sangha, a
woman who authorities say is a dealer who sold the actor the lethal dose of
ketamine. Both have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
Chavez admitted in his plea agreement that he obtained
ketamine from his former clinic and from a wholesale distributor where he
submitted a fraudulent prescription.
"Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to one count of
conspiracy to distribute ketamine and has signed a plea agreement," the
U.S. attorney's office said in a statement. "At his arraignment, Judge
Rosenbluth will set a date for Chavez's change of plea proceeding - or direct
the parties to contact the chambers of the federal district judge assigned to
the case to set the hearing date. "
After a guilty plea, he could get up to 10 years in prison
when he is sentenced.
Perry was found dead by his assistant on Oct. 28.
The medical examiner ruled ketamine was the primary cause of
death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal
but off-label treatment for depression that has become increasingly common.
Seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him, about a month before his death Perry found Plasencia, who in turn asked Chavez to obtain the drug for him.
"I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia
texted Chavez. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Los
Angeles and San Diego, and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine.
After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia asked
Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry's
"go-to."
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in announcing the charges
on Aug. 15 that "the doctors preyed on Perry's history of addiction in the
final months of his life last year to provide him with ketamine in amounts they
knew were dangerous."
Plasencia is charged with seven counts of distribution of
ketamine and two charges related to allegations he falsified records after
Perry's death.
He and Sangha are scheduled to return to court next week.
They have separate trial dates set for October, but prosecutors are seeking a
single trial that likely would be delayed to next year.
Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his
time on "Friends," when he became one of the biggest stars of his
generation as Chandler Bing.
He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa
Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on
NBC's megahit sitcom.
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