Second sentence for the death of Matthew Perry, . This Tuesday, the Los Angeles court read the sentence imposed on Dr. Mark Chávez. The doctor from San Diego (California) faced up to 10 years in prison for a single charge, conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Finally, the judge has decided on a very light sentence: eight months of house arrest and 300 hours of community service. In addition, he had already handed in his medical license. Shortly before hearing the sentence, he stated: “As a doctor, I have had the wonderful opportunity to help improve people’s lives, but I have also had to deal with tragedies. My heart goes out to the Perry family.”
The first sentence in this case took place on December 3 and was that of another colleague of Chávez, Salvador Plasencia, who . Although the sentence could be increased to 40 years in prison, the prosecution had requested three years for him, and finally, it was two and a half. Dr. Plasencia had already lost his medical license and his clinic, and also had to pay a fine of $5,600 (about 4,800 euros).
The prosecution had asked that Chávez spend six months at home, because he had cooperated with the investigation; His lawyers have stated that he has “a lot of remorse” and that he is “trying to do everything possible to cooperate, to help in this situation.” The difference between his sentence and Plasencia’s is in that help. Of the five accused in Perry’s death, in October 2024. By then only two of them had spoken out, pleading guilty; To date, all five have pleaded guilty.
“As doctors, their conduct was atrocious,” the prosecutor said. “The difference was what they did when they were discovered.” Doctors taught Perry’s assistant how to inject him with ketamine, but Chavez never met Perry in person. Of course, the judge accuses him of having allowed Plasencia to continue with the treatments, although he knew that his colleague did not have much experience. According to the newspaper, Chávez plans to go live in Mexico with his father after completing his sentence.
Chávez and Plasencia have been key in Perry’s case. Their text messages became sadly famous, where they made fun of the actor and everything he paid them to provide him with vials of ketamine, very cheap for them. The two doctors sold vials of ketamine to the well-known actor for $2,000, when they bought them for just $12 each. The prosecutor of the investigation explained that the actor, known for his role as Chandler Bing in the television comedy, paid $55,000 for about 20 vials.
Perry’s parents, who decided to be present at Plasencia’s sentencing reading two weeks ago, sent a letter to the court expressing their regret. “No one alive and in touch with the world could ignore Matthew’s plight. But this doctor conspired to break his most important vows, repeatedly sneaking into the night to secretly meet his victim. Why, a few thousand dollars? To take advantage of our son’s vulnerability… and boasting, while doing so, with that telling question: ‘I wonder how much this idiot will pay. Let’s find out’. Some things are very difficult to understand,” the mother and father wrote. stepfather of Perry, Suzanne and Keith Morrison.
The sentences of three people are still pending. Chief among them is Jasveen Sangha, a 42-year-old British-American woman known as The queen of ketamine. His sentencing was scheduled for last Wednesday, but was finally postponed to February. It is the one that faces the highest penalty: up to 65 years in prison. on five federal charges: one for maintaining a business to manufacture and distribute drugs, a second for distributing a substance that caused a death, that of Perry, and three others for distribution of ketamine.
The second defendant is a 55-year-old man named Erik Fleming, who helped Sangha obtain the ketamine. He faces two charges, one for distribution of ketamine resulting in death and a second for conspiracy. That could mean spending up to 25 years in prison. The third and last of the three missing suspects is Kenneth Iwamasa. He was, for years, the actor’s personal assistant. In fact, he was the last person to see him alive before the actor drowned at his home, in the jacuzzi, in the Pacific Palisades area. Iwamasa helped him use ketamine that the doctors gave him. He only faces one charge, that of distributing ketamine resulting in death, and could face a possible 15 years in prison.
