A third individual has admitted guilt in relation to the passing of Matthew Perry, the “Friends” actor.

On Wednesday, Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, accepted a guilty plea in Los Angeles for one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic. This charge could result in a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, alongside three years of supervised release or a fine of $500,000, or twice the amount gained or lost as a result of the offense—whichever is higher.

Dr. Chavez’s sentencing is set for April 2, 2025, according to NBC News.

A judge had previously allowed Chavez to be released on a $50,000 bond on August 30. After the court session, his lawyer, Matthew Binninger, stated that Chavez felt “incredibly remorseful” and was fully committed to cooperating with the authorities in this matter.

U.S. attorneys allege that Chavez, who previously ran a ketamine clinic in San Diego, improperly acquired ketamine and sold it to Perry by providing false information and writing a prescription without getting consent from the unspecified patient, as stated in a plea agreement dated August 15, reviewed by YSL News.

Chavez and his attorney signed this agreement on July 22.

Perry openly struggled with addiction and tragically passed away at his home near Los Angeles on October 28, 2023, when responding officers found him unconscious in his jacuzzi. His live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, made the emergency call.

Over a month later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined that Perry died due to an accident, with the acute effects of ketamine being the primary cause. In total, five individuals have been charged in connection with Perry’s death.

YSL News has attempted to contact Chavez’s attorney for comments regarding the case.

Key Individuals Involved in Matthew Perry’s Case

In the weeks leading up to Perry’s demise, Iwamasa reportedly bought over $55,000 worth of ketamine for him. Iwamasa pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Erik Fleming, identified as an acquaintance of Perry, confessed to distributing the ketamine responsible for Perry’s death. On August 8, he pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death.

Authorities allege that Jasveen Sangha supplied the ketamine leading to Perry’s death to Fleming. Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood by U.S. attorneys, faces nine criminal counts, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.

Sangha has pleaded not guilty to all charges, along with Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is accused of “distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of his life.” Plasencia faces a total of 10 criminal charges and has also pleaded not guilty.

Plasencia, who owns Malibu Canyon Urgent Care in Calabasas, California, was reported by his attorney to be returning to his practice as of August 21.

Allegations Against the Doctor Who Obtained Ketamine

U.S. attorneys claim that Chavez fraudulently transferred 22 vials of ketamine and nine lozenges to Plasencia for sale to Perry. The plea agreement indicates that Chavez was aware that selling ketamine for self-administration was illegal.

Chavez also recognized that it was unlawful to secure a controlled substance prescription in a patient’s name without their knowledge or consent.

In the months leading up to Perry’s death, Plasencia allegedly sought out Chavez to procure ketamine for Perry, who was willing to pay extra to obtain the substance, according to U.S. attorneys. Over several weeks, Chavez purportedly submitted false information to acquire ketamine, which was then sold to Perry through Plasencia.

Despite knowing that Plasencia had limited experience in treating patients with ketamine, Chavez proceeded with the plan to transfer vials of ketamine for monetary gain. The ketamine lozenges.

According to the attorneys, the substances sent to Plasencia by Chavez were acquired using a fake prescription that included the name of a patient who was unaware of the situation.

Initially, Chavez delivered “at least four vials of liquid ketamine,” as well as ketamine lozenges, gloves, and syringes to Plasencia, as stated in the plea agreement. After meeting with Perry, which Chavez described as “like a bad movie,” Plasencia shared part of his earnings with Chavez.

On October 2, 2023, when Plasencia mentioned a possible “repeat business” opportunity with Perry, Chavez reportedly responded, “Let’s do everything we can to make it happen.” While reaching out to ketamine suppliers, Chavez allegedly misled them about the intended use of the anesthetic he was attempting to acquire and falsely claimed that he was still employed at a previous job.

By around October 12, 2023, Chavez found out that the Medical Board of California was investigating claims that he had taken ketamine from his former clinic. He then informed Plasencia of this and expressed his desire to conduct any future business in a legitimate manner, according to the attorneys.

After hearing about Perry’s death, Chavez reached out to Plasencia to ask if he thought the actor might have died from the ketamine they had supplied. In response, Plasencia allegedly said he wasn’t worried since he hadn’t seen Perry for several weeks.

Matthew Perry received 6 shots of ketamine daily in the days leading to his death

It is claimed that the ketamine associated with Perry’s death was supplied by Fleming and Sangha. On October 10, 2023, assistant Iwamasa contacted Fleming to obtain ketamine, and he reportedly worked with Sangha to acquire the anesthetic for sale to Perry, according to attorneys.

On October 24, 2023, “even after stating less than a week prior to a patient at his clinic that (Perry) was too far gone and spiraling in his addiction,” Plasencia ordered 10 vials of ketamine from a wholesaler to sell to Perry, as indicated in a grand jury indictment against Plasencia and Sangha. That same day, Fleming also delivered 25 vials of ketamine bought from Sangha to Iwamasa at Perry’s residence.

In the following days, Iwamasa is accused of injecting Perry with six doses of ketamine each day. On October 28, 2023, he reportedly injected “at least three doses of the ketamine” obtained from Fleming and Sangha, which allegedly led to Perry’s death and serious bodily harm, according to the indictment.

If you or someone you know is struggling with issues related to substance or alcohol use, please reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.