One of the doctors charged in connection with the actor’s ketamine overdose has expressed deep remorse. Dr. Mark Chavez, one of five individuals charged in Perry’s death, appeared in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Friday, where he was arraigned on a felony count of conspiracy to illegally distribute ketamine. Chavez, who was prohibited by a federal judge from practicing medicine, was allowed to remain free on a $50,000 (Ksh.6.5M) bond.
During the brief arraignment, no plea was entered, but Chavez’s defense lawyer, Matt Binninger, indicated that his client had already agreed to plead guilty. The formal plea is expected to occur in a hearing scheduled in the coming weeks. As part of the bond conditions set by Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth, Chavez was ordered to surrender his passport and immediately cease practicing medicine. Earlier in the week, Chavez had also agreed to relinquish his medical license during a separate administrative hearing, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Outside the courthouse, Binninger conveyed Chavez’s remorse over the incident, emphasizing that Chavez is committed to accepting responsibility for his role. “My client is accepting responsibility. He’s doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation, and he’s incredibly remorseful,” Binninger stated. He stressed that Chavez’s regret stemmed not from Perry’s celebrity status but from the fact that “someone who was trying to seek treatment died.”
Chavez, who appeared visibly downcast, stood beside his lawyer but refrained from making any public comments. His involvement in the case is part of a broader legal battle involving multiple defendants, each accused of playing a role in the distribution and administration of ketamine that ultimately led to Perry’s death.
Another physician implicated in the case, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, has pleaded not guilty. Co-defendant Jasveen Sangha, who authorities have labeled the “ketamine queen” due to her role as an illicit supplier, has also entered a not-guilty plea. Sangha is alleged to have been the main source of the drug, operating as a central figure in a network that facilitated the distribution of ketamine to various clients, including Perry.
The case took a further dark turn with revelations about Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who has admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine. Iwamasa, along with an alleged middleman who procured the drug from Sangha, has already pleaded guilty. In a particularly damning piece of evidence, authorities disclosed text messages between Plasencia and Chavez discussing how much to charge Perry for the ketamine, with Plasencia remarking, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
Matthew Perry, who was 54 at the time of his death in October 2023, died from the “acute effects” of ketamine combined with other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub. The findings were confirmed by a December 2023 autopsy report. Perry, widely known for his role as Chandler Bing on the 1990s hit sitcom “Friends,” had openly battled substance abuse for decades, including during his time on the show.
The case has cast a harsh spotlight on the darker side of celebrity struggles with addiction, highlighting how vulnerabilities can be exploited, sometimes with fatal consequences. As legal proceedings move forward, the remorse expressed by Dr. Chavez serves as a sobering reminder of the tragic outcomes that can result from unethical medical practices. While justice takes its course, the public is left reflecting on the life and untimely death of a beloved actor who brought joy to millions but faced a profound personal battle behind the scenes.
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