Los Angeles, December 17, 2025: Dr. Mark Chavez, a former San Diego-based physician, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, to eight months of home confinement for illegally supplying ketamine to actor Matthew Perry.
Matthew Langford Perry, popularly known as Matthew Perry, was an American and Canadian actor. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing in a television series named “Friends.” He died in his Los Angeles home in October 2023 due to "acute effects of ketamine" in his blood, as revealed by an autopsy report.
Dr. Mark Chavez, 55, pleaded guilty in October in Federal Court in conspiracy to distribute the prescription anesthetic.
He must also complete 300 hours of community service as sentenced by Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett. He had already surrendered his medical license in November.
Chavez's sentencing follows that of Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 44, an internal medicine doctor from Malibu Canyon Urgent Care Clinic. Dr. Plasencia received a 30-month federal prison sentence and a $5,600 fine on December 3, 2025. Plasencia was sentenced for illegally supplying ketamine to Perry in the weeks before his death.
According to court documents, Chavez sold ketamine to Plasencia, who then administered multiple injections to the actor at Perry's home and once in the back seat of a parked car.
Three additional defendants are scheduled for sentencing in the coming weeks:
Jasveen Sangha, 42, known as the "Ketamine Queen,"who admitted to supplying the fatal dose of Ketamine
Kenneth Iwamasa, 60, Perry's former personal assistant, who acknowledged administering the final injection
Erik Fleming, 56, a go-between dealer
All five defendants have pleaded guilty to charges related to Perry's death.
Perry was found unresponsive and floating face down in the Jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023.
Federal investigators revealed that Perry had been receiving legitimate ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety at a medical clinic. When doctors refused to increase his dosage, he sought alternative providers who illegally supplied the drug.
The beloved "Friends" star, who played Chandler Bing, had publicly acknowledged decades of substance abuse. He frequently advocated for mental health and addiction treatment, speaking openly about his previous rehabilitation attempts.
Federal law enforcement officials stated that Perry became addicted to ketamine during legitimate treatment for depression and anxiety. When medical professionals at his clinic refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous providers who exploited his drug dependency for financial gain.
The sentencing of the remaining three defendants is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
(Rh/VK/MSM)
