Latest news with #MarkChavez
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Doctor to plead guilty to illegal substance distribution in Matthew Perry case
A California doctor charged in the overdose death of Friends star Matthew Perry has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of illegal distribution of an illegal substance, according to a court filing. Salvador Plasencia faces up to 40 years in prison, according to a statement from prosecutors. Perry died at age 54 in October 2023 from acute effects of an illegal substance and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub, according to a December 2023 autopsy report. The actor had publicly acknowledged decades of substance abuse, including during the years he starred as Chandler Bing on the hit 1990s television sitcom Friends. In the plea agreement, Plasencia admitted to injecting Perry with the substance at the actor's home and in a Santa Monica parking lot in the weeks before his death, in exchange for thousands of dollars, and that it was "not for legitimate medical purposes". The substance is a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties. It is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and anxiety but also abused by recreational users. Plasencia obtained the substance from another doctor, Mark Chavez of San Diego. According to earlier court filings, Plasencia texted Chavez about Perry, saying "I wonder how much this moron will pay." Chavez and two other defendants already have pleaded guilty in the case. None has yet been sentenced. A fifth defendant, Jasveen Sangha, whom authorities said was a dealer, has been charged with supplying the dose that killed Perry. She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial in August.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Main doctor charged in actor Matthew Perry overdose to plead guilty
The main doctor charged in connection with the drug overdose of "Friends" star Matthew Perry is expected to enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks, the US Justice Department said Monday. Salvador Plasencia "has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison," the department said in a statement. The second doctor in the case, Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty last October to conspiring to distribute ketamine in the weeks before the actor was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home in 2023. Perry's lengthy struggles with substance addiction were well-documented, but his death at age 54 sent shockwaves through the global legions of "Friends" fans. A criminal investigation was launched soon after an autopsy discovered he had high levels of ketamine -- an anesthetic -- in his system. Plasencia allegedly bought ketamine off Chavez and sold it to the American-Canadian actor at hugely inflated prices. "I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia wrote in one text message presented by prosecutors. He went to Perry's home to administer ketamine by injection, according to a plea deal published Monday by the Justice Department. In total, Plasencia distributed 20 vials of ketamine over a roughly two-week period in autumn 2023, the document said. Perry had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression. But prosecutors say that before his death he became addicted to the substance, which also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug. - Dark struggle - Five people have been charged over Perry's death. Jasveen Sangha, the alleged "Ketamine Queen" who supplied drugs to high-end clients and celebrities, is charged with selling Perry the dose that killed him. She has pleaded not guilty. Perry's live-in personal assistant and another man pleaded guilty last August to charges of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Comedic television series "Friends," which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive global following and made megastars of previously unknown actors. Perry's role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol. In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon and underwent multiple surgeries. In his 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry described going through detox dozens of times. "I have mostly been sober since 2001," he wrote, "save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps."
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Matthew Perry doctor to plead guilty to supplying ketamine to Friends star
A California doctor charged in the overdose death of Friends star Matthew Perry has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of illegal distribution of the drug ketamine, according to a court filing on Monday. Salvador Plasencia, who operated an urgent care clinic in Malibu, faces up to 40 years in prison, according to a statement from prosecutors. He is expected to enter the guilty plea in the coming weeks. Plasencia was one of five people charged in the death of Perry at age 54. READ MORE An autopsy found the actor died from acute effects of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub in October 2023. Ketamine is a short-acting anaesthetic with hallucinogenic properties. It is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and anxiety but also abused by recreational users. In the plea agreement, Plasencia admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine at the actor's home and in a Santa Monica parking lot in the weeks before his death, in exchange for thousands of dollars, and that it was 'not for legitimate medical purposes.' Plasencia obtained the ketamine from another doctor, Mark Chavez of San Diego. According to earlier court filings, Plasencia texted Chavez about Perry, saying: 'I wonder how much this moron will pay.' Chavez and two other defendants already have pleaded guilty in the case. None has yet been sentenced. A fifth defendant, Jasveen Sangha, whom authorities said was a drug dealer known to customers as the 'ketamine queen', has been charged with supplying the dose that killed Perry. She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial in August. Perry had publicly acknowledged decades of substance abuse, including during the years he starred as Chandler Bing on the hit 1990s television sitcom Friends. – Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Doctor to plead guilty to supplying ketamine to Matthew Perry
'Friends' star Matthew Perry became addicted to ketamine while seeking treatment for depression, and died at the age of 54. (AP pic) LOS ANGELES : A California doctor charged in the overdose death of 'Friends' star Matthew Perry has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of illegal distribution of the drug ketamine, according to a court filing on Monday. Salvador Plasencia, who operated an urgent care clinic in Malibu, faces up to 40 years in prison, according to a statement from prosecutors. He is expected to enter the guilty plea in the coming weeks. Plasencia was one of five people charged in the death of Perry at age 54. An autopsy found the actor died from acute effects of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub in October 2023. Ketamine is a short-acting anaesthetic with hallucinogenic properties. It is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and anxiety but also abused by recreational users. In the plea agreement, Plasencia admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine at the actor's home and in a Santa Monica parking lot in the weeks before his death, in exchange for thousands of dollars, and that it was 'not for legitimate medical purposes.' Plasencia obtained the ketamine from another doctor, Mark Chavez of San Diego. According to earlier court filings, Plasencia texted Chavez about Perry, saying 'I wonder how much this moron will pay.' Chavez and two other defendants already have pleaded guilty in the case. None has yet been sentenced. A fifth defendant, Jasveen Sangha, whom authorities said was a drug dealer known to customers as the 'ketamine queen,' has been charged with supplying the dose that killed Perry. She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial in August. Perry had publicly acknowledged decades of substance abuse, including during the years he starred as Chandler Bing on the hit 1990s television sitcom 'Friends.'
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
US doctor who sold overpriced ketamine to Matthew Perry to plead guilty in overdose case
LOS ANGELES, June 17 — The main doctor charged in connection with the drug overdose of 'Friends' star Matthew Perry is expected to enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks, the US Justice Department said yesterday. Salvador Plasencia 'has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison,' the department said in a statement. The second doctor in the case, Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty last October to conspiring to distribute ketamine in the weeks before the actor was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home in 2023. Perry's lengthy struggles with substance addiction were well-documented, but his death at age 54 sent shockwaves through the global legions of 'Friends' fans. A criminal investigation was launched soon after an autopsy discovered he had high levels of ketamine — an anesthetic — in his system. Plasencia allegedly bought ketamine off Chavez and sold it to the American-Canadian actor at hugely inflated prices. 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia wrote in one text message presented by prosecutors. He went to Perry's home to administer ketamine by injection, according to a plea deal published Monday by the Justice Department. In total, Plasencia distributed 20 vials of ketamine over a roughly two-week period in autumn 2023, the document said. Perry had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression. But prosecutors say that before his death he became addicted to the substance, which also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug. Dark struggle Five people have been charged over Perry's death. Jasveen Sangha, the alleged 'Ketamine Queen' who supplied drugs to high-end clients and celebrities, is charged with selling Perry the dose that killed him. She has pleaded not guilty. Perry's live-in personal assistant and another man pleaded guilty last August to charges of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Comedic television series 'Friends,' which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive global following and made megastars of previously unknown actors. Perry's role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol. In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon and underwent multiple surgeries. In his 2022 memoir 'Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,' Perry described going through detox dozens of times. 'I have mostly been sober since 2001,' he wrote, 'save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps.' — AFP
