A California doctor who sold ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry has been sentenced to eight months of home detention and three years of supervised release, marking him as the second individual sentenced in connection with the actor's death.
Dr. Mark Chavez is among five people involved in drug-related charges stemming from Perry's 2023 death at his Los Angeles residence. The physician confessed to illegally obtaining ketamine through fraudulent prescriptions and selling it to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who provided the drug to Perry.
Plasencia was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison for his part in the scheme. The federal investigation revealed how Perry acquired ketamine through an underground drug network in Hollywood.
Chavez admitted to obtaining the ketamine from his clinic and using a fraudulent prescription submitted under a former patient's name without her consent. He confessed to selling 22 vials of ketamine and nine lozenges to Plasencia, demonstrating a broader plan to exploit Perry's addiction for financial gain.
The tragic situation reached a climax when a post-mortem examination confirmed a high concentration of ketamine in Perry's blood, attributing his death to acute effects of the drug. The investigation continues as additional implicated parties await sentencing.
