California doctor Mark Chavez pleaded guilty in a deal with federal prosecutors regarding the fatal overdose of “Friends” star Matthew Perry. Chavez admitted to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry, who was found dead in his home in October 2023. Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison and has surrendered his passport and agreed to stop practicing medicine. He sold ketamine to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who then distributed it to Perry. Plasencia, along with others involved in the case, has also been charged. Chavez’s lawyer stated that his client is remorseful and taking responsibility for the overdose.
Perry had been undergoing ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety, but the levels of ketamine in his body at the time of death were dangerously high. The other individuals charged in connection with Perry’s death include Perry’s personal assistant, a friend, and an alleged drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen.” The Drug Enforcement Administration chief stated that each defendant played a role in Perry’s death by prescribing or selling ketamine to him, leading to his tragic end. The actor’s journey was described as beginning with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust and ended with street dealers providing him with ketamine in unmarked vials. The sentencing for Chavez and the other individuals involved in the case is pending.
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