Doctor Pleads Guilty in Matthew Perry Ketamine Overdose Case

Dr. Mark Chavez is expected to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine, in connection with the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry. Chavez, the third person to do so, is cooperating with prosecutors to target those deemed more responsible, who both deny charges. Perry's ketamine use was legally prescribed but escalated before his death.

Dr. Mark Chavez is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday in federal court in Los Angeles to charges of conspiring to distribute ketamine, a surgical anesthetic, in connection with the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry, according to court documents.

Chavez, from San Diego, became the third person to sign a plea agreement with prosecutors in this high-profile case. Federal prosecutors accepted Chavez's cooperation to pursue what they believe to be more culpable targets: another doctor and an alleged drug dealer, who they refer to as the 'ketamine queen' of Los Angeles.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suezy has said that the next stage in the investigation would go after Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, both of whom have pleaded not guilty. Perry's fatal overdose last October is thought to have resulted from obtaining ketamine from both legal and illegal sources.

(With inputs from agencies.)