The second of two medical doctors who had been convicted in reference to Matthew Perry’s ketamine dying was sentenced on Tuesday to eight months of residence confinement for his function in a conspiracy to illegally distribute ketamine to the “Pals” actor.
Mark Chavez is certainly one of 5 individuals charged and convicted in reference to Perry’s 2023 overdose dying. He pleaded responsible final 12 months to 1 depend of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting to promoting fraudulently obtained ketamine to a different physician, Salvador Plasencia, that was then bought to Perry within the weeks earlier than the actor died from an overdose.
The 2 medical doctors didn’t present the ketamine that finally killed Perry, who was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles residence in October 2023 on the age of 54. Although federal prosecutors stated they knew that the actor had a historical past of substance abuse and that the drug can be administered with out medical supervision.
Former medical physician Mark Chavez and his lawyer Matthew Binninger (R) arrive for his sentencing on costs of conspiracy to distribute ketamine linked to the overdose dying of actor Matthew Perry at america District Courtroom in Los Angeles, on Dec. 16, 2025.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Chavez’s sentence additionally consists of three years of supervised launch and 300 hours of neighborhood service.
“Mr. Chavez accepted duty on the earliest stage and has by no means minimized his mistake,” certainly one of his attorneys, Matthew Binninger, stated in an announcement following the sentencing.
Zach Brooks, one other lawyer for Chavez, stated the case “displays a lapse in judgment throughout a slim and remoted time.”
“He has accepted duty with out hesitation, and he hopes right now’s sentence will permit him to maneuver ahead with humility and a renewed dedication to serving others in no matter methods he can,” Brooks stated in an announcement.
Chavez confronted as much as 10 years in jail, prosecutors stated.
The federal government requested for a sentence of six months residence confinement that included a two-year time period of supervised launch in addition to not less than 300 hours of neighborhood service. Prosecutors stated Chavez, a former operator of a ketamine clinic, supplied Plasencia with vials of liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges that had been obtained by submitting a fraudulent prescription within the title of a affected person with out that affected person’s data or consent.
“Because the Drug Enforcement Administration and Medical Board investigators closed in on defendant’s unlawful ketamine gross sales, defendant initially lied and tried to evade duty,” the federal government stated in a submitting forward of sentencing. “To defendant’s credit score, nevertheless, his story continued, and have become certainly one of accountability.”
The federal government stated that when confronted together with his legal acts, Chavez “expediently accepted duty and agreed to cooperate with the federal government’s investigation.”
Matthew Perry of the tv present ‘The Kennedys – After Camelot’ speaks onstage through the REELZChannel portion of the 2017 Winter Tv Critics Affiliation Press Tour, Jan. 13, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Photographs
Chavez’s protection attorneys requested for 3 years of supervised launch, arguing in a submitting forward of sentencing that his conduct was “restricted and peripheral” and “far faraway from the tragic occasions of October 28, 2023.”
They famous that Chavez had by no means met Perry, entered his residence or administered treatment to him, and that he didn’t provide the ketamine that brought on his dying. Additionally they stated he “accepted duty early on this case and signed a plea settlement previous to any indictment, agreed to cooperate, and voluntarily surrendered his medical license even earlier than his detention listening to.”
“The implications Mr. Chavez has already confronted are important,” his attorneys wrote. “As soon as a training emergency room doctor, he misplaced his occupation, suffered public shame, and now earns a dwelling as an Uber driver. He has remained compliant with all phrases of pretrial supervision and continues to exhibit honest remorse for his actions.”
Each Chavez and Plasencia gave up their medical licenses after pleading responsible.
Mark Chavez, one of many two medical doctors charged in reference to the dying of actor Matthew Perry, is swarmed by media as he walks into courtroom together with his lawyer for his arraignment, Aug. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Michael Blackshire /Los Angeles Occasions by way of Getty Photographs
In accordance with Plasencia’s plea settlement, certainly one of his sufferers launched him to Perry on Sept. 30, 2023, with the unidentified affected person referring to the actor as a “‘excessive profile individual’ who was searching for ketamine and was keen to pay ‘money and many 1000’s’ for ketamine therapy,'” in response to Plasencia’s plea settlement.
Plasencia contacted his mentor, Chavez, to debate Perry’s request for ketamine and bought vials of liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges from him, in response to the settlement.
In discussing how a lot to cost Perry, Plasencia stated in textual content messages to Chavez, “I ponder how a lot this moron pays” and “Lets [sic] discover out,” prosecutors stated.
Plasencia admitted to distributing 20 vials of ketamine, ketamine lozenges and syringes to Perry and the actor’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, between Sept. 30, 2023, and Oct. 12, 2023.
Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry on the actor’s residence on a number of events and left vials and lozenges with Iwamasa to manage, in response to the plea settlement.
Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months in jail earlier this month.
Iwamasa admitted in courtroom paperwork to administering the ketamine on the day that Perry died, pleading responsible in August 2024 to 1 depend of conspiracy to distribute ketamine inflicting dying. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2026, and faces as much as 15 years in jail.
Two different defendants within the case — Erik Fleming and Jasveen Sangha — admitted to distributing the ketamine that killed Perry.
Prosecutors stated Sangha labored with Fleming to distribute ketamine to Perry, and that in October 2023, they bought the actor 51 vials of ketamine, which had been supplied to Iwamasa.
Fleming pleaded responsible in August 2024 to 1 depend of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one depend of distribution of ketamine leading to dying. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026, and faces as much as 25 years in jail.
Sangha, allegedly often called “The Ketamine Queen,” pleaded responsible in September to 1 depend of sustaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one depend of distribution of ketamine leading to dying or critical bodily damage. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2026, and faces a most sentence of 65 years in jail.
