Suvechha Sarkar
Mark Chavez was working as a doctor when he came under the scrutiny of law enforcement in October 2023 after the renowned actor Matthew Langford Perry passed away in Los Angeles, California. The untimely death left everyone around the world completely devastated. Netflix’s ‘The One About Matthew Perry’ delves deeper into the investigation that followed, detailing the criminal conspiracy that prosecutors unsealed against Mark Chavez and four others in connection with the distribution of ketamine that became the primary cause of the 54-year-old actor’s death. The episode also discusses the tragedy’s impact on Matthew’s loved ones through detailed interviews with them.
Mark Chavez Was a Doctor When Officials Focused on Him After Matthew Perry’s Death
Mark Chavez had always possessed a knack for science, which led him to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of New Mexico in 1996. By 1999, he enrolled at the University of California, San Diego, where he completed a post-baccalaureate program in 2000. Following that, he received a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2004. In June 2005, Mark began his Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Stony Brook University Hospital and completed it in June 2008, earning Board Certification in Emergency Medicine.
Mark began his career in August 1997 when he joined Agouron Institute as a Medicinal Chemist and continued serving there until April 1999. He then gained further experience in several roles, including Resident Physician at Stony Brook University, Attending Physician at St. Francis Medical Center, and Medical School Admissions Specialist at MD Prep. Mark eventually joined Palo Verde Hospital as an Attending Physician in September 2017. In August 2018, he founded Gravity Ball Health Systems, and by June 2020, he had started Goal-Directed Health and Longevity Coaching. Mark left his role at Palo Verde Hospital in September 2023. From October 2023 to May 2024, he worked as a Medical Director at QC Kinetix.
Additionally, Mark launched The Health MD and was serving as an Emergency Medicine Physician when he came under the radar of authorities. On October 28, 2023, 54-year-old actor Matthew Langford Perry passed away in his home in Los Angeles. The death prompted the officials to launch an extensive investigation into his personal assistant, Kenneth “Kenny” Iwamasa, and one of Matthew’s doctors, Salvador Plasencia. According to federal reports, an examination of their phone records revealed that Salvador was supplying Matthew with ketamine that the doctor bought from Mark. Not long after, the medical examiner determined that the acute effects of ketamine primarily contributed to the actor’s death.
Mark Chavez’s Text Messages and Phone Records Led to Federal Charges Against Him
As digital forensic experts dug deeper, they discovered text messages between Kenneth and Salvador, further revealing that the assistant administered the ketamine to Matthew on several occasions, including the fateful day. According to his federal plea agreement, on July 17, 2023, Mark issued a false prescription under a former patient’s name to obtain ketamine lozenges. Months later, in September, Salvador contacted Mark to purchase ketamine and intended to sell it to the actor. During that exchange, Mark reportedly agreed to sell the drugs and texted Salvador a picture of the same, concealing the name of the patient.
The phone records reportedly also helped officials uncover that Salvador had paid Mark several times and that they had discussed additional supplies. According to official documents, in October 2023, Mark came under investigation by the California Medical Board on the allegation that he had improperly taken ketamine from his former clinic. When questioned by investigators on that matter, he claimed the ketamine lozenges he obtained under a former patient’s name had melted in his car and were discarded, as per federal reports. The authorities later alleged that Mark had given the lozenges to Salvador.
In 2024, Mark was formally charged with the charge of conspiracy to distribute ketamine to Matthew. Before the charges were officially announced, he fully cooperated with the authorities and struck a plea deal with prosecutors. Similarly, Kenneth entered a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury. In August 2024, Salvador was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation, and seven counts of distribution of ketamine. One of Matthew’s acquaintances, Erik Fleming, was taken into custody that same year and faced federal drug charges.
Mark Chavez is Likely Leading a Quiet Life Out of the Limelight
After the federal case against Mark moved forward, he cooperated with the authorities. On August 30, 2024, he was released on a $50,000 bond, following which he voluntarily surrendered his medical license and passport. In August 2024, Erik and Kenneth entered into a plea deal with the prosecution. While Erik pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death, Kenneth made a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death. On October 2 of that same year, Mark also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine to Matthew.
As part of his plea agreement, Mark admitted to selling ketamine to Salvador, including the ones he had taken from the clinic he previously worked in. In his statements, he confessed to using a false prescription in his former patient’s name without their consent or knowledge. Moreover, Mark admitted to falsely representing himself to a wholesale ketamine distributor and obtaining additional quantities of the drug from there to give to Salvador. In July 2025, Salvador pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison in December of the same year.
On December 16, 2025, Mark was sentenced to three years of probation and eight months of home confinement. The court also ordered him to perform 300 hours of community service and pay a $100 special assessment to the government. After his sentencing, he apologized and stated, “My heart goes out to the Perry family.” In early 2026, Erik was sentenced to 2 years in prison, while Kenneth received a sentence of 3 years and five months in May. As of writing, Mark is likely out on probation and appears to be maintaining a low profile.
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