Doctor Charged in Matthew Perry’s Ketamine-Related Death Released on $50,000 Bond
Dr. Mark Chavez, a San Diego-based physician, has been charged in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry due to “the acute effects of ketamine.” Chavez appeared in federal court in Los Angeles, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth allowed his release on a $50,000 bond. As part of his release conditions, Chavez was ordered to surrender his passport and medical license.
The charges against Chavez carry severe penalties, including a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and a three-year supervised release period. Chavez, who previously ran a ketamine clinic, faces one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He has signed a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and is expected to plead guilty soon.
Court documents reveal that Chavez illegally acquired ketamine by providing false information and writing unauthorized prescriptions. He obtained 22 vials and nine lozenges of ketamine, which were then sold to Perry through another physician, Dr. Salvador Plasencia.
Five individuals have been charged in connection with Perry’s death, including Chavez and two others who have already entered guilty pleas. Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who found Perry unconscious at his Los Angeles-area home and made the 911 call, is among those charged. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office later ruled Perry’s death an accident, attributing it primarily to the “acute effects of ketamine.”
Dr. Chavez’s legal proceedings continue as he prepares to formally plead guilty to the charges against him.
