A former doctor connected to Matthew Perry’s ketamine case was sentenced Tuesday to eight months of home confinement for his role in illegally distributing ketamine that ultimately reached the late actor.
Mark Chavez, 33, was one of five people convicted in connection with Perry’s 2023 overdose death. He pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting he sold fraudulently obtained ketamine to another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, who then provided it to Perry in the weeks before the actor’s death at age 54. Federal prosecutors noted that Chavez and Plasencia did not supply the ketamine that directly caused Perry’s death.
Chavez’s sentence also includes three years of supervised release and 300 hours of community service. His attorneys said he accepted responsibility early and has shown remorse for his actions, highlighting that he has lost his medical license and now works as an Uber driver. Prosecutors said Chavez initially tried to evade responsibility but later cooperated fully with the investigation.
Plasencia was sentenced earlier this month to 30 months in prison for his role in distributing ketamine to Perry and his assistant. Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, admitted to administering ketamine on the day of Perry’s death and is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2026, facing up to 15 years in prison.
Two other defendants, Erik Fleming and Jasveen Sangha, also pleaded guilty to distributing the ketamine that contributed to Perry’s death. Fleming faces up to 25 years, and Sangha, known as “The Ketamine Queen,” faces a maximum of 65 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for early 2026.
Chavez, who never met Perry or administered ketamine directly, gave up his medical license after pleading guilty, along with Plasencia. The case centered on illegally obtaining and distributing ketamine, which was sold to Plasencia through fraudulent prescriptions and eventually reached Perry, resulting in the actor’s fatal overdose.
