Doctor Faces Up to 10 Years for Role in Matthew Perry’s Death

Five people have been charged in Matthew Perry’s death. Last October, a ketamine overdose caused the Friends star to drown at his home in Los Angeles. In May, L.A. police and federal agents opened an investigation into Perry’s death, resulting in the charges. So far, three have pleaded guilty, including one of the doctors. A joint trial date has now been set for a doctor and an alleged “Ketamine Queen” dealer, who have both pleaded not guilty.

Charges filed

August 15: Perry’s own assistant was among those charged for his death. Two doctors, a drug dealer, and an acquaintance of the Friends star have also been indicted, the New York Times reported. Prosecutors say all five of those charged helped supply Perry, who had a history of addiction, with ketamine. Dr. Salvador Plasencia allegedly texted another doctor, Mark Chavez, about buying ketamine to sell to Perry on September 30, 2023. In the days after, prosecutors said Dr. Plasencia sold thousands of dollars of ketamine to Perry, injected him with amounts higher than the maximum recommended dose, and falsified records of his treatment. During one home visit, a dose administered by Dr. Plasencia allegedly caused Perry to “freeze up.” Then, on October 24, prosecutors say Perry’s acquaintance Erik Fleming bought 25 vials of ketamine from Jasveen Sangha, a dealer known as “the Ketamine Queen.” Fleming allegedly gave the drug to Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who prosecutors say administered at least 20 shots in the next four days, before Perry drowned on October 28.

TMZ first reported that at least one doctor and multiple others had already been arrested. Dr. Plasencia and Sangha are facing the most charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Sangha is also facing a methamphetamine charge from earlier this year, after a March raid on her North Hollywood home turned up nearly 2,000 meth pills along with 79 bottles of ketamine. She pleaded not guilty. Chavez, Fleming, and Iwamasa have all separately been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Pleading guilty

August 30: One of the doctors charged in Perry’s death is pleading guilty, according to the Department of Justice. Dr. Mark Chavez, who allegedly helped Dr. Salvador Plasencia buy ketamine to sell to Perry, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Chavez joins Perry’s acquaintance Erik Fleming and his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who both previously pleaded guilty to assorted conspiracy charges. Both men allegedly played roles in buying ketamine from dealer Jasveen Sangha and injecting Perry with the ketamine. Plasencia and Sangha both previously pleaded not guilty to their charges. Sangha is being held without bail, while Plasencia posted his $100,000 bond and is already reopening his practice, per TMZ (though he can’t prescribe ketamine). Plasencia has a hearing set for October 8, while Sangha has one set for October 15.

Trial date

September 3: A date has been set for a joint trial for Dr. Salvador Plasencia and alleged “Ketamine Queen” drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, two of the five people who were charged in connection with Perry’s death back in August. According to CNN, Plasencia and Sangha will be tried together in federal court. The trial is scheduled to begin on March 4, 2025 after a pretrial hearing on February 19. Prosecutors have accused the pair of contributing to Perry’s death by supplying him with ketamine; they have pleaded not guilty.

Plasencia faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of eight ketamine-related counts, plus up to 20 years for each of two counts of falsifying documents. Meanwhile, Sangha (who was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, five counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises) faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The three others who were charged in connection to Perry’s October 2023 death — a personal assistant, a doctor, and an acquaintance of Perry’s — have all reached plea deals with prosecutors. 

One Doc’s Guilty Plea

October 2, 2024: Dr. Mark Chavez has officially pleaded guilty in court, after striking his plea deal back in August. TMZ reports that he is facing up to 10 years for his involvement in Matthew Perry’s death. Sentencing will take place in 2025. He has also begun the process of surrendering his medical license. “The factual basis from the plea agreement will be used as the basis for the medical board to issue a complaint against him, requesting the surrender of his license,” his lawyer told TMZ. “We will agree with that conclusion, and at that point, his license will be revoked. I cannot give you an exact timeline about when that will happen because it is up to the medical board, but the wheels are in motion, and now that the guilty plea has been entered it should happen sooner than later.” Chavez received the email about Perry which read “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”