Kriti Mehrotra
When 54-year-old Matthew Perry was suddenly found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles, California, home on October 28, 2023, it honestly left the entire world baffled to its very core. That’s because this ‘Friends‘ star’s untimely death was ascertained to be from “the acute effects of ketamine,” and nobody really even knew that he had unfortunately relapsed into his struggle with addiction. However, as explored in ‘Impact X Nightline: What Happened to Matthew Perry?,’ it soon came to light that some individuals, like Dr. Mark Chavez, had apparently been taking advantage of his issues.
Mark Chavez Enjoyed Immense Success as a Medical Personnel and Entrepreneur
Although not a lot of information regarding Mark Chavez’s early years or upbringing is publicly known, it’s evident he had developed an interest in the world of sciences when he was quite young. As soon as he had graduated high school, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry while also minoring in classical music performance (guitar). He then established a stable career as a Medicinal Chemist at Agouron Institute from 1996 to 1999 before deciding to continue his studies at the University of California San Diego to prepare for medical school.
It was only after this that Mark obtained the necessary healthcare degree from the renowned David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in 2004, following which he took on residency. He completed the same at Stony Brook University in New York prior to evolving into a fully licensed Attending Physician at St. Francis Medical Center in Los Angeles from 2008 to 2011. He then strengthened his skills with stints at Huntington Family Medicine and Palo Verde Hospital, all the while also briefly serving as the founder of the physical rehab center, California Health & Therapeutics.
Mark even worked as a Medical School Admissions Specialist at MD Prep from 2015 to 2018. In 2023, he joined QC Kinetix as a Medical Director and worked there until May 2024. In 2020, he began providing Goal-Directed Health and Longevity Coaching at The Health MD. However, arguably the biggest achievement for this Kion U Coach Certified doctor was launching Gravity Ball, a grip-free resistance exercise technology to help others on their fitness journey. But everything changed in August 2024, as he, alongside four others, was charged with conspiring to distribute the anesthetic drug ketamine that led to the death of beloved actor Matthew Perry.
Mark Chavez Agreed to Plead Guilty For His Alleged Involvement in Matthew Perry’s Death
As per records, Mark was interviewed by detectives with the US Drug Enforcement Agency and Medical Board of California merely nine days before Matthew’s death on suspicious activity. Yet he ostensibly never told them anything about stealing prescription drugs like ketamine from the San Diego clinic where he once worked or distributing them to Dr. Salvador Plasencia to supply to the actor. Nevertheless, he later agreed to admit guilt to this offense, with the deal also stating that he allegedly submitted false prescriptions and statements to obtain ketamine from pharmacies as well as wholesale medical distributors alike in the summer of 2023.
According to records, Mark subsequently even took ketamine from his clinic before transferring some to a medical facility in his base city of San Diego itself or to Dr. Salvador to give to Matthew Perry. Proof of their association in connection to this was also included in court documents in the form of text exchanges between them, one of which reads: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” This was sent from Salvador to Mark, with the “moron” referring to the actor. Another had the former mentioning they could have “repeat business” with the ‘Friends’ famed celebrity, to which Mark simply replied, “Let’s do everything we can to make it happen.”
Mark is Currently Out on Bond and Awaiting His Sentencing
Hence, it’s no surprise US attorney Martin Estrada has since vehemently asserted these doctors did nothing but prey on and take advantage of Matthew’s history of addiction until he sadly passed away. We should also mention that despite agreeing to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine and his cooperation with officials, Mark’s agreement was not officially entered into court until a couple of months later. Therefore, following an August 30, 2024, hearing, Mark was out on a $50,000 bond in California, with the terms of his release including the surrender of his passport and a ban on him from practicing medicine.
The lawyer of the 54-year-old said in a press conference, “He’s incredibly remorseful. He’s trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here. He didn’t accept responsibility today but only because it wasn’t on the calendar.” Finally, on October 2, 2024, Mark pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Following the guilty plea, his sentence is scheduled for April 2, 2025, as the accused faces up to ten years in prison.
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