The second doctor involved in Matthew Perry's tragic overdose has received a relatively lenient punishment. Dr. Mark Chavez was sentenced to eight months of home confinement and community service for his role in distributing ketamine to the actor. This comes after his colleague Dr. Salvador Plasencia got a harsher prison term earlier this month.
Oh, the drama in Hollywood never ends, does it? Just when we thought the Matthew Perry saga was wrapping up, another chapter drops with Dr. Mark Chavez's sentencing. United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down a pretty cushy deal on Tuesday: eight months of home confinement and 300 hours of community service. No jail time for this one, folks—talk about dodging a bullet. 😏
Back in October 2024, Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, cutting a quick deal with the feds amid the arrests tied to Perry's death. He admitted to selling the drug to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who then passed it along to Perry just weeks before the Friends star's fatal overdose in 2023. Prosecutors revealed Chavez snagged the ketamine by fraudulently using a patient's name without their knowledge or consent—sneaky much?
For context, Plasencia, the other doc in this messy duo, got slapped with 30 months in federal prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to four counts of distributing ketamine. But the real tea? A chilling text exchange between the two, where Plasencia messaged Chavez: "I wonder how much this moron will pay." Oof. That gem was spotlighted in a heartbreaking victim impact letter from Perry's stepfather, Keith Morrison, who wrote to the judge: "This doctor conspired to break his most important vows, repeatedly, sneaked through the night to meet his victim in secret. For what, a few thousand dollars? So he could feed on the vulnerability of our son…and crow, as he did so, with that revealing question: 'I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let’s find out.'"
Perry tragically overdosed on ketamine and drowned in his hot tub that year, leaving fans reeling. Still to come: sentencings for Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, drug dealer Erik Fleming, and the notorious "Ketamine Queen" Jasveen Sangha. Will justice feel served, or is this just the tip of the iceberg? Spill more, courts! 👀