On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, one of the medical practitioners arrested for their involvement in Matthew Perry’s death pleaded guilty to the charge. San Diego resident Dr. Mark Chavez has entered a plea deal consenting to a charge of conspiracy to sell ketamine, a surgical anesthetic.
Dr. Mark Chavez pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles court to conspiring to distribute surgical anesthetic ketamine. According to the authorities, Perry had been provided with ketamine lozenges by Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia.
Prior to his arrest, Chavez ran a ketamine clinic that sold the anesthetic to Plasencia. Perry’s death resulted in the arrest of five individuals, including Chavez and Plasencia. With his sentencing scheduled for April 2025, Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison.
What Happened to Matthew Perry?
On October 28, 2023, “Friends” actor and star was found dead in his Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles. The actor, who passed away at the age of 54, was discovered floating face down in his backyard stand-alone jacuzzi. When Perry was discovered dead in his Los Angeles home, the circumstances surrounding the incident made it feel like an accident.
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According to the investigation, it revealed that Perry was legally prescribed ketamine as a treatment for his depression. However, things took a darker turn in September 2023, when Perry began misusing the medication. Perry’s eventual passing from a ketamine overdose led to the arrest of five individuals.
What Was Matthew Perry’s Cause of Death?
According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office, Perry suffered from the acute effects of ketamine, which resulted in him drowning. Subsequently, after his passing, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram released a statement, saying, “Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials.”
Milgram continued, “Every day, the DEA works tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the public and to hold accountable those that distribute deadly and dangerous drugs – whether they are local drug traffickers or doctors who violate their sworn oath to care for patients.” According to people close to Perry, he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for anxiety and depression.
What Matthew Perry Autopsy Revealed
According to the autopsy examination carried out by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, Perry died from a ketamine overdose. Although the autopsy report confirmed that Perry had drowned at the heated end of his pool, it was a secondary cause to his death.
According to Perry’s autopsy results, it was revealed that Perry’s surgery two weeks to death did not match the ketamine level in his body. As the medical examiner explained, ketamine is typically metabolized quickly. According to the reports, buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder and coronary artery disease, also contributed to his demise.
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According to Dr. Andrew Stolbach, the amount of ketamine that was present in Perry’s body was enough to knock him out. As a result of losing consciousness and posture, Perry’s ability to keep himself afloat was lost leading to his drowning. Dr. Andrew Stolbach said, “Using sedative drugs in a pool or hot tub, especially when you’re alone, is extremely risky and, sadly, here it’s fatal.”
However, Stolbach noted that both ketamine and buprenorphine can be used safely if a proper prescription is followed. Stolbach works as a medical toxicologist with Johns Hopkins Medicine and was asked to review the report by The Associated Press. After Perry was discovered dead on October 28, 2023, an autopsy was conducted on October 29, 2023.
Matthew Perry’s Death Investigation Continued After His Demise
Following Perry’s death on October 28, 2023, Capt. Scot Williams of the LAPD announced that the department was conducting an investigation into his death. Williams further confirmed that the active investigation was to ascertain whether a crime or foul play had been committed. Additionally, Williams said that the police were looking into how Perry got the drugs and who was supplying him.
The investigation was a joint venture between the LAPD, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and the US Postal Inspection Service. Addressing the rumors that the investigation was because of Perry’s socioeconomic status, the DEA and the LAPD denied the allegations. Subsequently, on Thursday, August 15, 2024, five individuals were arrested and charged in connection with Perry’s passing.
The five suspected individuals involved included medical practitioners, Perry’s assistant and a suspected drug dealer, known as the “Ketamine Queen.” The arrest exposed a large ketamine-dealing network, cover-up attempts, and another death by the “Ketamine Queen.” Following their arrest, authorities revealed that Perry’s doctor, Dr. Plasencia, had referred to Perry as “a moron” while selling the ketamine at 165 times the normal price.
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Who Was Matthew Perry’s Doctor?
After the charges were announced in August 2024, Perry’s doctors, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez, were implicated. According to U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, the doctors had taken advantage of Perry’s addiction and had seen him as a means of enriching themselves. Estrada said, “They knew what they were doing was wrong.”
Subsequently, Plasencia was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and seven charges of distribution of ketamine. Additionally, Plasencia was charged with two counts of changing and forging papers or records pertaining to the federal inquiry. However, Plasencia pleaded not guilty to all charges as his trial began on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.
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