Doctor sentenced to house arrest for supplying ketamine used by Matthew Perry

Another doc who played a relation successful providing ketamine to Matthew Perry weeks earlier the actor’s overdose decease was sentenced to 8 months of location apprehension by a national justice Friday.

Mark Chavez, a erstwhile doctor, pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of conspiracy to administer ketamine past October. In his plea agreement, Chavez acknowledged that helium and Salvador Plasencia — an ex-doctor sentenced to astir 3 years successful situation earlier this period — colluded to deceive aesculapian ketamine suppliers and illegally administer the cause to Perry for profit.

Chavez, 54, was besides sentenced to 3 years of supervised merchandise pursuing his location apprehension and indispensable execute 300 hours of assemblage service.

Chavez was 1 of 5 individuals charged past twelvemonth for their alleged roles successful Perry’s October 2023 death. The others see Perry’s acquaintance Erik Fleming, idiosyncratic adjunct Kenneth Iwamasa, and Jasveen Sangha, a North Hollywood pistillate allegedly known arsenic the “Ketamine Queen.” All person pleaded blameworthy to national charges and await sentencing successful the coming months.

During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett brought up concerns astir sentencing disparities betwixt Chavez and Plasencia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello argued that the government’s recommended condemnation of six months of location apprehension was owed to Chavez’s practice with investigators.

“As doctors, their behaviour was egregious,” Yanniello said. “The quality was what they did erstwhile they got caught.”

Before charges were brought against the 5 alleged distributors, Chavez surrendered his aesculapian licence and sought a plea woody with the government.

According to an indictment, Plasencia contacted Chavez to acquisition ketamine aft learning Perry was funny successful depression-related treatments successful September 2023. Chavez past supplied Plasencia with ketamine vials and orally transmitted “lozenges” that were fraudulently obtained nether different patient’s prescription, his plea statement said.

“If contiguous goes good we whitethorn person repetition business,” Plasencia texted Chavez little than a period earlier Perry’s death.

“Let’s bash everything we tin to marque it happen,” Chavez responded, tribunal records show.

Chavez had faced a imaginable maximum of 10 years successful prison, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors argued that Chavez improperly obtained authorization from the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe and administer aesculapian ketamine.

Chavez purchased 22 vials of liquid ketamine, ketamine lozenges and different aesculapian supplies from wholesale distributors to supply to Plasencia, who would personally present them to Perry, the justice said earlier her ruling.

During his Dec. 3 sentencing hearing, a national justice castigated Plasencia for his aesculapian malpractice and for teaching Perry’s idiosyncratic adjunct to administer the cause astatine the actor’s Pacific Palisades home. Chavez ne'er met with Perry successful person, but allowed Plasencia to proceed the treatments contempt knowing that Plasencia had “little” acquisition with ketamine treatments, according to his plea agreement.

According to the plea agreement, Chavez called Plasencia connected the time of Perry’s decease to inquire whether helium believed they distributed drugs that whitethorn person killed him. Prosecutors said that ketamine was not supplied by the physicians.

Chavez offered a little apology instantly earlier his sentencing.

“As a doctor, I’ve had a fantastic accidental to assistance people’s lives, but I’ve besides had to woody with the tragedies,” Chavez said. “My bosom goes retired to the Perry family.”

Chavez’s lawyer said that helium would reside successful Mexico with his begetter aft serving his sentence.