Celebrity
Doctor Charged In Connection With Matthew Perry’s Death Is Expected To Plead Guilty
Los Angeles — One of two doctors indicted in the investigation into Matthew Perry’s death is set to plead guilty Wednesday in a Los Angeles federal court to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine.
Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, accepted a plea agreement with prosecutors in August, becoming the third individual to plead guilty following the “Friends” star’s tragic overdose last year.
Prosecutors proposed lower charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their assistance as they pursued two people they believe are more culpable for the overdose death: another doctor and an alleged dealer known as the “ketamine queen” of Los Angeles.
Doctor Charged In Connection With Matthew Perry’s Death Is Expected To Plead Guilty
His lawyer, Matthew Binninger, stated following Chavez’s initial court appearance on Aug. 30 that he is “incredibly remorseful” and “trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here.”
Perry’s assistant, who admitted to assisting him in obtaining and injecting ketamine, and a Perry acquaintance, who admitted to serving as a drug courier and intermediary, are also cooperating with federal authorities.
The three are assisting prosecutors in their case of Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is accused of unlawfully selling ketamine to Perry in the month preceding his death, and Jasveen Sangha, a woman who officials claim provided the actor the lethal quantity of ketamine. Both pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
In his guilty deal, Chavez admitted to obtaining ketamine from his prior clinic as well as a wholesale distributor to whom he submitted a bogus prescription.
After pleading guilty, he might face up to ten years in jail when sentenced.
Perry was discovered deceased by his assistant on October 28. The medical examiner concluded that ketamine was the primary cause of death. The actor had been taking the medicine as prescribed by his regular doctor, which is a legitimate but off-label treatment for depression that is becoming more widespread.
Doctor Charged In Connection With Matthew Perry’s Death Is Expected To Plead Guilty
Perry started requesting more ketamine than his doctor would give him. About a month before his death, the actor saw Plasencia, who then begged Chavez to procure the medication for him.
“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez. They met on the same day in Costa Mesa, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, and swapped at least four ketamine vials.
After selling the pills to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia asked Chavez if he could continue to supply them so they could become Perry’s “go-to.”
Perry suffered from addiction for many years, beginning with his time on “Friends,” when he rose to prominence as Chandler Bing. From 1994 until 2004, he starred with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer in NBC’s megahit sitcom.
SOURCE | AP
