Connect with us

Published

on

One of the doctors charged in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry has appeared in a federal court.

Mark Chavez, 54, did not enter a plea in Los Angeles, but earlier this month signed an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine.

Perry, 54, was found dead at his home in LA on 28 October last year.

The US-born actor had been taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, according to court documents.

Five people have been charged in connection with his death.

This includes his live-in personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and a doctor named Salvador Plasencia, also known as “Dr P”.

The others charged are Jasveen Sangha who was referred to in documents as the “Ketamine Queen“, and Eric Fleming, who it was claimed bought the drug from Sangha.

Actor Matthew Perry
Image:
Matthew Perry had been taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, court documents showed

Chavez agreed to cooperate with prosecutors to pursue others, including Plasencia, who he allegedly worked with to sell ketamine to the actor.

Judge Jean P Rosenbluth ruled Chavez could be released on bail, but was required to hand over his passport and cease working as a doctor.

Dr. Mark Chavez, a physician from San Diego, who is charged in connection with actor Matthew Perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose, arrives at the Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Image:
Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine. Pic: AP

Speaking outside court, Chavez’s lawyer Matthew Binninger said: “He’s incredibly remorseful.

“He’s doing everything in his power to cooperate and help with this situation.”

Also working with the US attorney’s office are Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and Eric Fleming – who both pleaded guilty to various charges.

The three are helping authorities as they prosecute their main targets, Plasencia and Sangha.

Clockwise from top left: Friends stars Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. Pic: NBC Universal Inc/ Sky UK
Image:
Clockwise from top left: Friends stars Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox. Pic: NBC Universal Inc/ Sky UK

After a guilty plea, Chavez could get up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced.

Meanwhile, Plasencia pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Sangha, a dual US and UK citizen, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine.

Read more:
Matthew Perry’s last hours before drug overdose
‘Took advantage of Perry’s addiction issues’

He and Sangha are scheduled to return to court next week.

They have separate trial dates set for October, but prosecutors are seeking a single trial that likely would be delayed to next year.

Salvador Plasencia. Pic: Malibu Canyon Urgent Care
Image:
Salvador Plasencia. Pic: Malibu Canyon Urgent Care

Kenneth Iwamasa Pic: LinkedIn
Image:
Kenneth Iwamasa Pic: LinkedIn

Jasveen Sangha
Pic: BFA.com/Shutterstock
Image:
Jasveen Sangha. Pic: BFA.com/Shutterstock

When Perry died, the levels of ketamine in his body were equivalent to the amount used for general anaesthesia during surgery, according to Sky News’ US partner NBC News.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Outside Jasveen Sangha’s ‘drug-selling emporium’

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Prosecutors allege Chavez funnelled ketamine to Plasencia, securing some of the drug from a wholesale distributor through a fraudulent prescription.

In one instance, prosecutors allege that Plasencia “charged Perry $2,000 (£1,500) a vial that cost Dr Chavez approximately $12 (£9)”.

Continue Reading

US

Pam Bondi: Key proponent of Trump’s false 2020 election claims set to head justice department after Gaetz withdrawal

Published

on

By

Pam Bondi: Key proponent of Trump's false 2020 election claims set to head justice department after Gaetz withdrawal

Donald Trump has pledged for years to surround himself with ultra-loyalists who can mould his government to his vision without barriers. 

That’s precisely why he picked Matt Gaetz. Now he’s out, Pam Bondi is in and she’s equally loyal.

Gaetz was uniquely unpopular on Capitol Hill but ultra-MAGA and ultra-loyal to the president-elect.

He was chosen by the president-elect to do his bidding inside the Justice Department as attorney general.

Critics called his pick “a red alert moment for democracy” and the man a “gonzo agent of chaos” – language that would surely only affirm Trump’s decision in his own proudly disruptive mind.

FILE...Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., appears before the House Rules Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Image:
Matt Gaetz has withdrawn despite Trump putting him forward for attorney general. Pic: AP

If it wasn’t for the fact that the president-elect is himself a convicted felon, and a man found liable in a civil court of his own sexual offences, the prospect of Gaetz, with all his baggage, making it through the nomination process would have seemed remote.

But Donald Trump’s return to the White House suggested anything is possible.

And so, beyond his loyalty, Gaetz was Trump’s test for his foot soldiers on Capitol Hill. How loyal were they? Would they wave through anyone he appointed?

It turns out that Gaetz, and the storm around his private life, was too much for a proportion of them.

At least five Senate Republicans were flatly against Matt Gaetz’s confirmation. We understand that they communicated to other senators and those close to Trump that they were unlikely to be swayed.

They included the Republican old guard like Senator Mitch McConnell.

Beyond the hard “no” senators, there were between 20 and 30 other Republicans who were very uncomfortable about having to vote for Gaetz on the Senate floor.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws

The key question is whether Gaetz was Trump’s intentional wild card crazy choice that he knew, deep down, would probably never fly.

Was Gaetz the candidate he had accepted would be vetoed by senators – who would then feel compelled to wave the rest of his nominees through?

Will Pete Hegseth’s alleged sexual impropriety concern them as they consider the suitability of the former Fox News host and army major to run the Department of Defence?

What about Tulsi Gabbard, the candidate Russian state TV calls ‘our girl’, and the appropriateness of her running America’s intelligence agencies?

These are all appointments that the politicians on Capitol Hill must consider and confirm in the weeks ahead.

Read more:
Trump hands out top jobs: Who is in, who is out
Musk picked to head up Trump’s new efficiency department

We don’t yet know who Trump will choose to direct the FBI.

There are some names being floated which will make the establishment of Washington shudder but then that’s precisely why Trump was elected. He is the disrupter. He said so at every rally, on repeat.

He was quick to pivot to another name to replace Gaetz.

Bondi is the former attorney general of Florida. Professionally she is in a different league to Gaetz. She’s been a tough prosecutor, with a no-nonsense reputation.

She is also among the most loyal of loyalists. Her attachment to Trump stretches way back.

Pam Bondi speaks during a Trump rally in November 2024. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pam Bondi speaks during a Trump rally in November 2024. Pic: Reuters

I first came across her in Philadelphia in November 2020 when she was among Trump surrogates claiming the election back then had been stolen from them by Joe Biden and the Democrats.

She was a key proponent of the false claims the election had been rigged and Trump was the rightful winner.

The court cases concluding that was all nonsense didn’t seem to convince her.

Now she is poised to head up the Department of Justice as the country’s top law enforcement official.

Continue Reading

US

Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change ‘like nothing you’ve seen in history’, warns campaign official

Published

on

By

Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change 'like nothing you've seen in history', warns campaign official

Within hours of taking office, president-elect Donald Trump plans to begin rolling out policies including large-scale deportations, according to his transition team.

Sky News partner network NBC News has spoken with more than half a dozen people familiar with the executive orders that his team plans to enact.

One campaign official said changes are expected at a pace that is “like nothing you’ve seen in history”, to signal a dramatic break from President Joe Biden’s administration.

Mr Trump is preparing on day one to overturn specific policies put in place by Mr Biden. Among the measures, reported by sources close to the transition team, are:

• The speedy and large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants

• Ending travel reimbursement for military members seeking abortion care

• Restricting transgender service members’ access to gender-affirming care

More on Donald Trump

But much of the first day is likely to focus on stopping illegal immigration – the centrepiece of Trump’s candidacy. He is expected to sign up to five executive orders aimed at dealing with that issue alone after he is sworn in on 20 January.

“There will without question be a lot of movement quickly, likely day one, on the immigration front,” a top Trump ally said.

“There will be a push to make a huge early show and assert himself to show his campaign promises were not hollow.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.

But Mr Trump’s campaign pledges also could be difficult to implement.

Deporting people on the scale he wants will be a logistical challenge that could take years. Questions also remain about promised tax cuts.

Meanwhile, his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours would be near impossible.

Read more:
Police file on Trump pick, Pete Hegseth
Matt Gaetz withdraws from top job
Watch: Musk and Trump’s bromance

Even so, advisers based at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort or at nearby offices in West Palm Beach, Florida, are reportedly strategising about ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Following his decisive victory on 5 November, the president-elect has moved swiftly to build a cabinet and senior White House team.

As of Thursday, he had selected more than 30 people for senior positions in his administration, compared with just three at a similar point in his 2016 transition.

Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser in Mr Trump’s campaign, told NBC News: “The thing to realise is Trump is no dummy.

“He knows he’s got two to three years at most to get anything done. And then he becomes a lame duck and we start talking about [the presidential election in] 2028.”

Continue Reading

US

Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be US attorney general

Published

on

By

Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration to be US attorney general

Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.

Mr Gaetz, a controversial pick to be the country’s top legal official, said his selection was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the transition of Mr Trump’s administration into the White House.

The Florida Republican had faced significant scrutiny over a federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl.

He said in a post on the X social media platform: “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as attorney general. Trump’s DOJ (Department of Justice) must be in place and ready on Day 1.

“I remain fully committed to seeing that Donald Trump is the most successful president in history. I will forever be honoured that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

Mr Trump said in a post on his own social media site, Truth Social, that Mr Gaetz had a “wonderful future”.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” he wrote.

More from US

“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect.”

Mr Gaetz previously faced a nearly three-year Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl, which ended in February 2023 without him facing any criminal charges.

He has always denied the allegations.

He has also been under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over wider allegations including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts.

The inquiry was dropped on Wednesday 13 November when Mr Gaetz left Congress – the only forum where the committee has jurisdiction.

The Senate ethics committee is deadlocked on whether their report can be released.

Mr Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Mr Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that he could face resistance from members of his own party.

Continue Reading

Trending