Matthew Perry death case: Second doctor who helped sell Ketamine to the Friends actor sentenced

Matthew Perry death case

Former doctor Mark Chavez has avoided prison time for his role in the case linked to the death of Hollywood actor Matthew Perry. On Tuesday, Chavez was sentenced to eight months of home confinement, three years of supervised release, and 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

According to court documents, Mark Chavez obtained ketamine using fraudulent prescriptions and sold it to Dr. Salvador Plasencia. Plasencia later supplied the drug to Matthew Perry in the weeks leading up to the actor’s fatal overdose in October 2023.

Prosecutors clarified that neither Chavez nor Plasencia provided the specific dose of ketamine that ultimately caused Perry’s death. Following the sentencing, Mark Chavez’s attorney, Matthew Binninger, said the outcome was fair, stressing that the doctor was never Perry’s physician and had no direct contact with the actor.

“He never met Matthew Perry, never spoke to him, and never went to his home,” Binninger said, adding that the lethal dose did not come from Chavez.

Addressing the court, Chavez expressed remorse and sympathy for the actor’s family, saying his “heart goes out to the Perry family.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty in July to four counts of ketamine distribution, was sentenced earlier this month to 30 months in federal prison.

Two other defendants charged in connection with Perry’s death — Erik Fleming and Jasveen Sangha, also known as the ‘ketamine queen’ — have also pleaded guilty to federal drug charges. Both are awaiting sentencing, scheduled for January 7, 2026, and February 25, 2026, respectively.

Read More: Doctor jailed for supplying ketamine to 'Friends' star Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry died in October 2023 due to the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning listed as a contributing factor. Authorities later launched a federal investigation into how the drug was supplied to the actor, leading to charges against multiple individuals connected to illegal ketamine distribution.