JUDGMENT DAY

Doctor Who Helped Give Matthew Perry Ketamine Learns Fate

Mark Chavez received his sentence on Tuesday.

A doctor involved in the scheme to give Matthew Perry ketamine before the actor’s overdose in October 2023 was sentenced to eight months of home confinement and three years of supervised release on Tuesday by Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in a Los Angeles court. Perry was prescribed ketamine to treat depression, but turned to Dr. Salvador Plasencia when his own doctor wouldn’t prescribe the dosage he wanted. Chavez, 55, purchased large quantities of ketamine wholesale and provided them to Plasencia, 44, who in turn gave them to Perry. The investigation into Perry’s death found that Plasencia texted Chavez to say that Perry was a “moron” whom he could exploit for money. Plasencia was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in early December. Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. His defense team argued that, unlike Plasencia, Chavez cooperated with the investigation from the outset and agreed to give up his medical license before he was detained. His lawyer, Matthew Binninger, called the sentence a “fair and just outcome” for the case. When being sentenced, Chavez said, “I just want to say my heart goes out to the Perry family.”