One of the two doctors charged in connection with the ketamine overdose death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry has been barred from practicing medicine by a federal judge. Dr. Mark Chavez, who is facing a felony charge for conspiracy to illegally distribute ketamine, appeared in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for a brief arraignment. He was released on a $50,000 bond, with conditions including the surrender of his passport and a prohibition on practicing medicine.

Chavez has signed an agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty at a later date, according to his defense attorney, Matt Binninger. No plea was entered during Friday’s hearing, but Binninger emphasized that Chavez is taking full responsibility and expressed deep remorse for Perry’s death.

"He’s doing everything in his power to cooperate and is incredibly remorseful, not because of Perry's celebrity status, but because someone seeking treatment died," Binninger stated outside the courthouse.

Chavez’s medical license had already been surrendered earlier in the week at an administrative hearing. Standing beside his lawyer with a solemn expression, Chavez declined to comment on the case.

Another doctor involved in the case, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, has pleaded not guilty, as has Jasveen Sangha, who authorities say was an illegal supplier of ketamine and known as the "ketamine queen." Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted to injecting Perry with the drug, and a middleman who allegedly obtained the ketamine from Sangha have both pleaded guilty.

According to authorities, Plasencia purchased ketamine from Chavez and, in text messages to him, discussed how much they could charge Perry, referring to him disparagingly as a "moron."

Perry, who publicly battled substance abuse during and after his time playing Chandler Bing on the iconic 1990s sitcom "Friends," tragically died at the age of 54 in October 2023. The cause of death was ruled as drowning, triggered by the "acute effects" of ketamine, as confirmed in a December 2023 autopsy report.