One of the doctors charged in the drug-related death of actor Matthew Perry last year has appeared in a US court.
Mark Chavez was granted bail during a hearing in Los Angeles on Friday, agreeing to cease practicing medicine. His lawyer stated he is “incredibly remorseful.”
Dr. Chavez is among five individuals charged in connection with Perry’s death and has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, although it was not formally entered during the hearing.
Perry, 54, tragically passed away at his Los Angeles residence last October. A post-mortem examination revealed a high concentration of ketamine in his blood, concluding that the “acute effects” of the drug were responsible for his death.
Police recently announced the findings of their investigation.
The investigation uncovered a “broad underground criminal network” distributing substantial quantities of ketamine.
Three individuals charged, including Perry’s assistant, have already pled guilty to drug charges.
Dr. Chavez admitted to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
At the hearing, bail was set at $50,000, with Chavez ordered to surrender his passport and refrain from practicing medicine.
Defense lawyer Matt Binninger expressed that his client is accepting responsibility and cooperating fully with the authorities.
Ketamine, a potent anesthetic, is sometimes used in treating depression, anxiety, and pain.
Friends and associates of Perry shared with investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy prior to his death, although his last session occurred over a week before his passing. The medical examiner concluded that the ketamine levels in his system could not be attributed to the therapy due to the drug’s brief half-life.
Moreover, the ketamine found in his body was at levels consistent with those typically administered during general anesthesia.
A federal indictment detailed an intricate drug purchasing scheme linked to Perry’s death. Prosecutors assert that his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, collaborated with two doctors to procure over $50,000 worth of ketamine for Perry in the weeks leading up to his demise.
Authorities alleged that the defendants sought to profit from Perry’s known struggles with substance abuse. One doctor, Salvador Plasencia, reportedly mentioned in a message, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Dr. Plasencia, 42, allegedly provided Perry with ketamine outside of legitimate medical practices and failed to uphold proper safety standards while assisting Iwamasa in administering the drug to Perry.
In the four days before his death, Iwamasa purportedly administered at least 27 ketamine injections, continuing even after a previous high dose caused Perry significant distress.
Charged alongside Dr. Chavez is Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” who allegedly supplied the drug to Plasencia with assistance from co-defendants Erik Fleming and Dr. Chavez.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants attempted to conceal their crimes following Perry’s death.
Sangha reportedly instructed another suspect to “delete all our messages,” while Dr. Plasencia allegedly falsified medical records.
The coroner also identified drowning as a contributing factor in Perry’s death, ruling it as an accident. Other contributing factors included coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, a medication for opioid addiction.
At the height of his career, Perry struggled with addiction to painkillers and alcohol, undergoing several rehabilitation treatments. He candidly expressed his battles in his memoir, highlighting lost memories during his time on Friends due to substance abuse.
In a 2016 interview, Perry disclosed that he could not recall three years of filming Friends, attributing the memory loss to his struggles with alcohol and drugs.
After numerous attempts at rehabilitation, he wrote in his memoir that he had largely maintained sobriety since 2001, with occasional relapses.
