<p>Los Angeles: One of two California doctors who were among the five people charged in the overdose death of "Friends" star <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/matthew-perryhttps://www.deccanherald.com/tags/matthew-perry">Matthew Perry</a> pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of illegally distributing the drug ketamine.</p><p>Dr Mark Chavez entered the plea during an appearance in US District Court in Los Angeles. At sentencing, he could face up to 10 years in prison.</p><p>Another physician charged in the case, Dr Salvador Plasencia, has pleaded not guilty, as has co-defendant Jasveen Sangha, who authorities said was an illicit supplier of the drug and was known as the "ketamine queen." The pair are scheduled to go on trial in March.</p>.Matthew Perry’s death shines a harsh light on ketamine treatment.<p>Perry's live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted to injecting Perry, and the alleged middleman who said he obtained ketamine from Sangha, have already pleaded guilty to charges they faced.</p><p>Authorities said Plasencia purchased ketamine from Chavez, and in text messages to Chavez discussing the amount to charge Perry for the drug wrote: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."</p><p>Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry and supplied vials that were injected by the assistant, according to court documents.</p><p>Perry died at age 54 in October 2023 from "acute effects" of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub, according to a December 2023 autopsy report.</p><p>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."</p><p>Matt Binninger, Chavez's attorney, told reporters in August that his client was "doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation."</p><p>"He’s incredibly remorseful," Binninger said.</p><p>The lawyer added that Chavez's regret stemmed not from Perry's celebrity but from the fact that "someone who was trying to seek treatment died."</p>
<p>Los Angeles: One of two California doctors who were among the five people charged in the overdose death of "Friends" star <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/matthew-perryhttps://www.deccanherald.com/tags/matthew-perry">Matthew Perry</a> pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of illegally distributing the drug ketamine.</p><p>Dr Mark Chavez entered the plea during an appearance in US District Court in Los Angeles. At sentencing, he could face up to 10 years in prison.</p><p>Another physician charged in the case, Dr Salvador Plasencia, has pleaded not guilty, as has co-defendant Jasveen Sangha, who authorities said was an illicit supplier of the drug and was known as the "ketamine queen." The pair are scheduled to go on trial in March.</p>.Matthew Perry’s death shines a harsh light on ketamine treatment.<p>Perry's live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted to injecting Perry, and the alleged middleman who said he obtained ketamine from Sangha, have already pleaded guilty to charges they faced.</p><p>Authorities said Plasencia purchased ketamine from Chavez, and in text messages to Chavez discussing the amount to charge Perry for the drug wrote: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."</p><p>Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry and supplied vials that were injected by the assistant, according to court documents.</p><p>Perry died at age 54 in October 2023 from "acute effects" of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub, according to a December 2023 autopsy report.</p><p>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."</p><p>Matt Binninger, Chavez's attorney, told reporters in August that his client was "doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation."</p><p>"He’s incredibly remorseful," Binninger said.</p><p>The lawyer added that Chavez's regret stemmed not from Perry's celebrity but from the fact that "someone who was trying to seek treatment died."</p>