In a Los Angeles federal courtroom, Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced Dr. Mark Chavez, 55, to three years of supervised release.
Matthew Perry, renowned for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends, had been legally using the anesthetic ketamine to manage depression. When his regular physician declined to increase the dosage, Perry sought out Dr. Chavez for more.
Dr. Chavez confessed to acquiring ketamine under false pretenses from a wholesale distributor and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drug. He has not been detained.
Perry’s struggles with addiction were longstanding, dating back to his time on Friends, where he became a household name alongside co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer during the show’s 10-year run from 1994 to 2004.
Chavez is the second individual to be sentenced among five defendants who have admitted guilt in relation to Perry’s death at the age of 54 in 2023.
Chavez is the second person to be sentenced of the five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perryâs death at age 54 in 2023.
Perry was found dead by his assistant on October 28. The medical examiner ruled 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 that has become increasingly common.
Seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him, about a month before his death Perry found Plasencia, who in turn asked Chavez to obtain the drug for him.
He met with Plasencia between San Diego and Los Angeles to hand off ketamine he got using fraudulent prescriptions. In all, he admitted to supplying 22 5ml vials of ketamine and nine ketamine lozenges.
Chavez will also be expected to do 300 hours of community service.
The other three defendants who reached deals to plead guilty will be sentenced at their own hearings in the coming months. Garnett said she would seek to make sure all the sentences made sense in relation to one another.
