Doctor linked to Matthew Perry's death barred from practice

A U.S. federal court on Friday ordered a doctor who offered to plead guilty in connection with the death of renowned 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry.

Mark Chavez, 54, who will admit conspiracy to distribute ketamine as part of a deal reached with authorities, was released on $50,000 bail in a Los Angeles court.

Chavez is one of five people facing federal charges over the October 2023 tragedy, when Perry was found dead of a ketamine overdose in his hot tub at age 54.

Two others involved, an assistant who lived with him and an acquaintance, have agreed to plead guilty to their charges.

The other doctor, named Salvador Plasencia, allegedly stocked up on ketamine with Chavez, according to prosecutors. The bottles, worth $12, would come to the actor for $2,000.

"I wonder how much this asshole is going to pay," Plasencia said of the matter, according to information gathered by investigators.

Jasveen Sangha, a dealer known as "The Ketamine Queen" who supplied drugs to high-profile clients and celebrities, was accused of selling Perry the dose that killed him.

Both Plasencia and Sangha face a charge of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, as well as several additional offenses, which they have denied.

Their trials are set for October. They face lengthy prison sentences if found guilty.

Chavez, who admitted in his guilty plea to selling ketamine to Plasencia, including doses he had diverted from his former ketamine clinic, is expected to formally enter his plea in the coming days or weeks.

Perry played the character Chandler Bing on the hit series aired on U.S. television from 1994 to 2004.

Friends, which followed the lives of six New Yorkers making their way through adulthood, dating, and careers, attracted a huge worldwide following, which turned its stars into megastars.

The death of Perry, who struggled with addictions to painkillers and alcohol, generated a worldwide wave of grief among his fans and colleagues. The actor had been taking ketamine, a controlled drug, as part of supervised therapy.

Doctors and veterinarians use that as an anesthetic, and researchers have explored its compounded use in the treatment of depression.