One of the two California doctors who were among the five individuals charged with being involved in Friends actor Matthew Perry’s overdose death has entered a guilty plea to a charge of supplying ketamine illegally.
The US actor died from an accidental ketamine overdose last year.
The individuals who were charged included two doctors and an assistant to Matthew, who was part of “a broad underground criminal network” that distributed large quantities of the prescription drug ketamine to the actor and others.
At a court appearance in Los Angeles’ US District Court, Dr. Mark Chavez entered the guilty plea.
He may receive a sentence of up to ten years in prison.
Dr Salvador Plasencia, another medical professional involved in the case, and co-defendant Jasveen Sangha, who the authorities claimed was a “ketamine queen” and an illegal drug seller, have both entered not-guilty pleas.
The trial for both of them is set for March.

Kenneth Iwamasa, Mr. Perry’s live-in personal aide, who acknowledged injecting him—and the accused middleman—Ms. Sangha—have already entered guilty pleas to the accusations against them.
Authorities alleged that Dr. Plasencia bought ketamine from Dr. Chavez and discussed the cost of the drugs with Dr. Chavez via text messages writing: “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”
According to court documents, Dr. Plasencia gave Mr. Perry ketamine and provided vials that the assistant injected.

US Attorney Martin Estrada said of the accused: “These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves.”
“They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyway.”
“In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well-being,” he added.

The arrests come after The Los Angeles Police Department announced they would be investigating the source of the ketamine which caused the tragic death of Matthew Perry.
His official autopsy report stated that Matthew was “receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety” at the time of his death, with the most recent dose reportedly taken one and a half weeks before his passing.
However, the report continued: “The ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine’s half-life is three-to-four hours, or less.”

The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner also confirmed contributing factors in his death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder).
The report also noted that he was “reportedly clean for 19 months” prior to his death, according to a witness interviewed by detectives.
In his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew opened up about his lengthy battle with addiction and revealed he almost died when he was 49 years old.

The Friends star spent weeks in a hospital fighting for his life after his colon burst from opioid overuse.
The actor revealed he spent two weeks in a coma and five months in the hospital and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months.
The late 54-year-old had been to rehab 15 times, and had 14 surgeries on his stomach.