A doctor who admitted to supplying ketamine that led to the death of actor Matthew Perry has been sentenced to eight months of home confinement. Dr Mark Chavez, 55, appeared in a federal court in Los Angeles, where Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett also imposed three years of supervised release.
Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He obtained the drug from a wholesale distributor using fraudulent prescriptions and supplied it to Dr Salvador Plasencia, who sold it to Perry. Plasencia was sentenced to two and a half years in prison earlier this month.
Before sentencing, Chavez expressed condolences to Perry's family, saying, “I just want to say my heart goes out to the Perry family.” His lawyers highlighted his early cooperation with investigators and voluntary surrender of his medical licence as signs of accountability.
Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the television series Friends, died on 28 October 2023 at the age of 54. The medical examiner ruled ketamine as the primary cause of death. Perry had been using the drug legally for depression but sought additional supplies from Plasencia when his regular doctor would not provide more.
Court filings revealed that Plasencia referred to Perry as a “moron” who could be exploited for money. Chavez admitted to supplying 22 5ml vials of ketamine and nine ketamine lozenges. In addition to home confinement, he must complete 300 hours of community service.
Chavez is the second of five defendants to be sentenced in connection with Perry's death. The remaining three defendants are expected to be sentenced in the coming months, with the judge aiming for consistency across the cases.
