Recently, one of two doctors was sentenced relating to Matthew Perry’s ketamine death, now a second is facing sentencing Tuesday.
As noted by NBC, of five people charged and convicted in the death of Friends actor in 2023, Mark Chavez pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine to another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, which then found its way to Perry, in the weeks prior to the actor dying from an overdose.
However, the two doctors did not supply the ketamine that ultimately killed Perry, 54, who was found unresponsive in a Jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. Federal prosecutors said they knew that the Friends actor had a history of substance abuse, and that the ketamine would be administered without medical supervision. Moreover, the government requested a sentence of six months home confinement, including a two-year term of supervised release. The doctor also was sentenced to at least 300 hours of community service.
According to prosecutors, Chavez, a former operator of a ketamine clinic, provided vials of liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges to Plasencia. The drugs were obtained using a fraudulent prescription in the name of a patient, without their knowledge or consent.
In a filing ahead of sentencing, the government said, “As the Drug Enforcement Administration and Medical Board investigators closed in on defendant’s illegal ketamine sales, defendant initially lied and tried to evade responsibility,” adding, “To defendant’s credit, however, his story continued, and became one of accountability.”
According to the government, when Chavez was confronted with his crime, he “expediently accepted responsibility and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation.”
Defense attorneys for Chavez asked for three years of supervised release. They argued in a filing ahead of sentencing that his conduct was “limited and peripheral” and “far removed from the tragic events of October 28, 2023.”
Defense noted that their client had never met Perry, visited his home, or administered the ketamine to him and didn’t directly supply the drug that caused the Friends actor’s death. Meanwhile, their client “accepted responsibility early in this case and signed a plea agreement prior to any indictment, agreed to cooperate, and voluntarily surrendered his medical license even before his detention hearing.”
Chavez’ attorneys, Matthew Binninger and Zach Brooks said, “The consequences Mr. Chavez has already faced are significant,” adding, “Once a practicing emergency room physician, he lost his profession, suffered public disgrace, and now earns a living as an Uber driver. He has remained compliant with all terms of pre-trial supervision and continues to demonstrate sincere regret for his actions.”
Both doctors gave up their medical licenses once they pleaded guilty. Plasencia’s plea agreement stated that one of his patients had introduced Perry to him on September, 30, 2023. They described him as a high profile person seeking ketamine and who was willing to pay “cash and lots of thousands” for ketamine treatment.
According to the agreement, Plasencia contacted his mentor, Chavez, about Perry’s request for ketamine, and went on to purchase vials of liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges from him. While discussing how much to charge the Friends actor, Plasencia’s text messages sent to Chavez read, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets [sic] find out,” the prosecutors said.
Plasencia admitted to supplying 20 vials of ketamine, syringes and ketamine lozenges to Matthew Perry and his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, between September 30, 2023, and October 12, 2023. According to the plea agreement, Plasencia on several occasions administered Ketamine to Perry at his home, leaving vials and lozenges with Iwamasa to administer to the actor. For his crime, Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months in prison earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Iwamasa admitted to administering ketamine to Perry on the day he died, and pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing Perry’s death. He is set to be sentenced on January 14, 2026, and could face up to 15 years behind bars.
Erik Fleming and Jasveen Sangha are two other defendants in the case, who admitted to distributing the ketamine that killed Perry. According to prosecutors, Sangha worked with Fleming to give ketamine to Perry, and in October 2023, sold the Friends actor 51 vials of ketamine and provided them to Iwamasa.
Sangha, who is apparently dubbed “The Ketamine Queen,” pleaded guilty in September to one count of distribution of ketamine, resulting in death or serious bodily injury. She faces sentencing on February 25, 2026, facing a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
As for Fleming, he pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, as well as one count of distributing the drug resulting in death. He faces scheduling on January 7, 2026, and is facing up to 25 years behind bars.
