The second of two medical doctors who had been convicted in reference to Matthew Perry’s ketamine loss of life was sentenced on Tuesday to eight months of dwelling supervision for his function in a conspiracy to illegally distribute ketamine to the “Buddies” actor.
Mark Chavez is considered one of 5 individuals charged and convicted in reference to Perry’s 2023 overdose loss of life. He pleaded responsible final 12 months to 1 rely of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting to promoting fraudulently obtained ketamine to a different physician, Salvador Plasencia, that was then offered to Perry within the weeks earlier than the actor died from an overdose.
The 2 medical doctors didn’t present the ketamine that in the end killed Perry, who was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles dwelling in October 2023 on the age of 54. Although federal prosecutors mentioned they knew that the actor had a historical past of substance abuse and that the drug could be administered with out medical supervision.
Former medical physician Mark Chavez and his legal professional Matthew Binninger (R) arrive for his sentencing on expenses of conspiracy to distribute ketamine related to the overdose loss of life of actor Matthew Perry at the USA District Court docket in Los Angeles, on Dec. 16, 2025.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP through Getty Pictures
Chavez’s sentence additionally features a supervised launch time period of three years and 300 hours of neighborhood service.
He confronted as much as 10 years in jail, prosecutors mentioned.
The federal government requested for a sentence of six months dwelling confinement that included a two-year time period of supervised launch in addition to a minimum of 300 hours of neighborhood service. Prosecutors mentioned Chavez, a former operator of a ketamine clinic, offered Plasencia with vials of liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges that had been obtained by submitting a fraudulent prescription within the identify 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 accountability,” the federal government mentioned in a submitting forward of sentencing. “To defendant’s credit score, nevertheless, his story continued, and have become considered one of accountability.”
The federal government mentioned that when confronted together with his prison acts, Chavez “expediently accepted accountability and agreed to cooperate with the federal government’s investigation.”
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 dwelling or administered medicine to him, and that he didn’t provide the ketamine that brought about his loss of life. In addition they mentioned he “accepted accountability 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, Matthew Binninger and Zach Brooks, wrote. “As soon as a practising 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 display honest remorse for his actions.”
Each Chavez and Plasencia gave up their medical licenses after pleading responsible.
Matthew Perry of the tv present ‘The Kennedys – After Camelot’ speaks onstage throughout the REELZChannel portion of the 2017 Winter Tv Critics Affiliation Press Tour, Jan. 13, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Pictures
In accordance with Plasencia’s plea settlement, considered 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 particular person’ who was in search of ketamine and was prepared to pay ‘money and many hundreds’ for ketamine remedy,'” based on 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, based on the settlement.
In discussing how a lot to cost Perry, Plasencia mentioned in textual content messages to Chavez, “I ponder how a lot this moron can pay” and “Lets [sic] discover out,” prosecutors mentioned.
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 dwelling on a number of events and left vials and lozenges with Iwamasa to manage, based on the plea settlement.
Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months in jail earlier this month.
Iwamasa admitted in court docket paperwork to administering the ketamine on the day that Perry died, pleading responsible in August 2024 to 1 rely of conspiracy to distribute ketamine inflicting loss of life. 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 mentioned Sangha labored with Fleming to distribute ketamine to Perry, and that in October 2023, they offered the actor 51 vials of ketamine, which had been offered to Iwamasa.
Fleming pleaded responsible in August 2024 to 1 rely of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one rely of distribution of ketamine leading to loss of life. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026, and faces as much as 25 years in jail.
Sangha, allegedly generally known as “The Ketamine Queen,” pleaded responsible in September to 1 rely of sustaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one rely of distribution of ketamine leading to loss of life or critical bodily damage. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2026, and faces a most sentence of 65 years in jail.
