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Oct. 2, 2024 / 1:02 PM / Updated Oct. 2, 2024 at 5:04 PM

San Diego doctor pleads guilty in Matthew Perry's death

Matthew Perry attends the screening of Reelz's "The Kennedy's After Camelot" at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, California on March 15, 2017. A doctor blamed in his death is expected to plea guilty in federal court on Wednesday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

Matthew Perry attends the screening of Reelz's "The Kennedy's After Camelot" at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, California on March 15, 2017. A doctor blamed in his death is expected to plea guilty in federal court on Wednesday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A San Diego doctor pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine in connection with the death of "Friends" actor Matthew Perry.

Mark Chavez, 54, faces a possible maximum prison sentence of 10 years after pleading guilty. Prosecutors say Chavez took ketamine from his former clinic and with another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, supplied it to the entertainer.

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Perry was found dead in his jacuzzi at his home in Pacific Palisades, California nearly a year ago this month. Chavez was part of a group federally charged in Perry's death in August.

In his initial appearance in September, Chavez surrendered his medical license and agreed not to practice medicine.

Chavez remained free on a $50,000 bond and has a sentencing hearing scheduled on April 2.

"These defendants cared more about profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being," U.S. Attorney Mark Estrada said in a Justice Department statement last month. "Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people's lives over greed.

"This case with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death send a clear message that we will hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause."

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