Los Angeles, CA – In a significant development regarding the death of actor Matthew Perry, Dr. Mark Chavez appeared in a Los Angeles court on Friday as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. He was released on a $50,000 bond following the largely procedural hearing.
According to prosecutors, Dr. Chavez intends to plead guilty to a single count of conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry, who tragically passed away in October 2023 at age 54 due to the "acute effects" of the surgical anesthetic, combined with the subsequent drowning incident. Perry’s body was discovered floating face down in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home.
During the court proceedings, Chavez acknowledged the charges against him and waived his right to a grand jury indictment. As per his attorney, he is scheduled to return to court in late October to formalize the plea agreement.
Chavez is among five individuals facing charges connected to the beloved actor’s demise. According to reports, three of these individuals have begun cooperating with prosecutors as the focus shifts to Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, who are accused of operating what prosecutors have characterized as "a drug selling emporium" out of Sangha’s residence.
Plasencia and Sangha have both pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including falsifying medical records and conspiracy to distribute drugs. They are set to appear in court next week.
Further details reveal that Chavez provided Plasencia with the ketamine that was administered to Perry using a fraudulent prescription. Chavez, now 54, received his medical degree in 2004 from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His website describes his role as helping clients achieve optimum health and longevity through personalized coaching.
Previously affiliated with Dreamscape Ketamine, Chavez severed ties with the clinic following a dispute with his business partner in July 2023, alleging that the partner was not a licensed medical doctor. His plea agreement states that he took possession of all prescription drugs, including ketamine.
In the lead-up to Perry’s death, both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Medical Board of California had initiated investigations into Chavez after he reportedly misled authorities about the ketamine’s disposal.
As part of the plea agreement, Chavez has surrendered his medical license. His attorney, Binninger, indicated that even if he were to reapply for licensure in the future, it would prove to be a challenging endeavor. "My guess is he’s going to have to pivot into a new way of living,” Binninger remarked.
Speaking before the hearing, Binninger also reflected on Perry’s impact, stating, “Matthew Perry was larger than life… he was a human being that people cared about. Had it been a non-celebrity, I can assure you we’d be playing things out the exact same way, because the federal government did a really good job in the investigation."
The maximum sentence outlined in the plea documents is 10 years in prison, underscoring the serious nature of the charges stemming from Perry’s tragic death.