Mark Chavez, 54 has been charged in the investigation of the death of Friends star Matthew Perry and has today pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine.
Chavez reportedly signed a plea agreement with prosecutors back in August and is the third person to plead guilty in the aftermath of the actor’s death.
Chavez, entered the guilty plea on Wednesday in a federal court in Los Angeles, with prosecutors offering lesser charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their cooperation.
The court is set to go after two targets they deem more responsible for the overdose death: another doctor and an alleged dealer that they say was known as the “ketamine queen”.
Chavez has been out on bond after turning over his passport and surrendering his medical license, among other conditions.
Perry – known for his role as Chandler in the iconic US series – died at the age of 54 in October 2023 of a fatal overdose of the drug, which can be used to treat depression.
His death came as a huge shock and sent shockwaves through the industry – sparking a seven-month investigation by LA authorities after the star had previously struggled with drug use.
Chavez was arrested alongside Dr Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha – an alleged Hollywood drug dealer dubbed “the ketamine queen” – and has been at the forefront of the investigation.
Plasencia has been charged with illegally selling ketamine to the actor during the lead-up to his death, with authorities adding that Sangha sold the actor the lethal dose of ketamine.
Both have already pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
Perry’s assistant is also working with federal prosecutors after admitting to helping him obtain and inject ketamine, with an acquaintance of Perry admitting to acting as a drug messenger and middleman.
Chavez previously admitted in his plea agreement that he obtained ketamine from his former clinic and from a wholesale distributor where he submitted a fraudulent prescription.
His lawyer Matthew Binninger said in August that he is “incredibly remorseful” and is “trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here,” – with the doctor possibly facing 10 years in prison.
Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28 2023, leaving a medical examiner to later rule that ketamine was the primary cause of death.
The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression – before he began seeking more than his doctor would give him.
Reports have said that Plasencia texted Chavez: “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” before the two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, and exchanged a possible four vials of ketamine.
Perry opening admitted to struggling with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation.
He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 – who were all left agonised by his death.
