Matthew Perry’s Death Case: Jasveen Sangha, a drug dealer dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” was sentenced on Wednesday to 15 years in prison in connection with the fatal overdose of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, including her role in supplying the dose of the powerful anesthetic that killed the actor. Sangha, 42, a dual U.S.-British citizen, pleaded guilty in September to five felony drug counts stemming from Perry’s 2023 death at age 54 and had faced a possible sentence of up to 65 years.
U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Garnett imposed a 15-year term, as recommended by federal prosecutors. Sangha, wearing beige prison garb for the hearing in a Los Angeles federal courtroom, expressed remorse for her role in Perry’s death in a statement she delivered moments before the sentence was pronounced.
Matthew Perry Death Case: Who Is Jasveen Sangha?
Jasveen Sangha is a 42-year-old dual U.S.-British citizen who admitted to running a “stash house” for illegal narcotics out of her home in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles. She was known to her street customers as the “Ketamine Queen.”
As part of her deal with prosecutors, Sangha pleaded guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, plus three counts of illegal distribution of ketamine and one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death. Sangha admitted that she was aware that vials she sold to middleman dealer Erik Fleming were intended for Perry.
Matthew Perry Death Case:Â What Did Sangha Do?
Sangha acknowledged selling a total of 51 vials of ketamine to Fleming, who in turn sold the doses to Perry through the actor’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. It was Iwamasa, prosecutors said, who later injected Perry with at least three shots of ketamine from the vials Sangha had supplied, resulting in the actor’s death.
Sangha also admitted to selling ketamine to a person in August 2019 who died hours later from an overdose. The judge noted that Sangha had continued selling illegal drugs for six months after Perry’s death, exhibiting a lack of remorse at the time.
Matthew Perry Death Case:Â What Did Sangha Say in Court?
“I take full responsibility for my actions. These were horrible choices that ultimately proved tragic,” Sangha told the judge. Her lawyer argued that she suffered from her own substance abuse problems but has remained sober since her arrest in August 2024, about one year and eight months ago.
The defense had urged the judge to limit Sangha’s sentence to time already served, arguing she has demonstrated a willingness to improve her life and the lives of others, including her efforts at organizing and leading weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings. However, the judge rebuffed the leniency argument.
How Did Matthew Perry Die?
Perry was found by his live-in personal assistant floating face down and lifeless in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. An autopsy report concluded Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” which combined with other factors in causing the actor to lose consciousness and drown.
Ketamine is a short-acting but potent anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties that is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and other psychological disorders. It has also gained popularity for abuse as an illicit party drug.
Matthew Perry Death Case:Â What Was Perry’s History of Substance Abuse?
Perry had publicly acknowledged decades of substance abuse that overlapped with the height of his fame playing the sardonic but charming Chandler Bing on the 1990s hit NBC television comedy “Friends.” His death came a year after publication of his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” which chronicled bouts with addiction to prescription painkillers and alcohol.
In the months before his death, Perry had claimed to have regained sobriety. But according to federal law enforcement officials, Perry had been undergoing medically supervised ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety at a clinic where he became addicted to the drug. When doctors there refused to increase his dosage, Perry turned to unscrupulous providers willing to exploit his drug dependency.
Matthew Perry Death Case:Â Who Else Was Sentenced in the Case?
Sangha’s sentence was harsher than those given to two physicians previously sentenced in the case. Dr. Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to 2½ years in prison. Dr. Mark Chavez got eight months of home confinement. Two more co-defendants convicted earlier—Fleming and Iwamasa—have yet to be sentenced.
Perry’s stepfather, broadcast journalist Keith Morrison, said in a victim-impact statement before sentencing: “All those possibilities died with him. He should have had another act, two more acts.”
FAQs: Matthew Perry Death Case
Q: Who is Jasveen Sangha?
A: A 42-year-old dual U.S.-British citizen known as the “Ketamine Queen” who ran a stash house from her North Hollywood home.
Q: What was her sentence?
A: 15 years in prison, as recommended by federal prosecutors.
Q: What did she plead guilty to?
A: Five felony drug counts, including distributing ketamine resulting in death.
Q: How much ketamine did she sell?
A: She admitted selling 51 vials of ketamine to a middleman dealer who supplied Perry.
Q: Did she express remorse?
A: Yes. She said, “I take full responsibility for my actions. These were horrible choices that ultimately proved tragic.”
Q: Why did the judge reject leniency?
A: Sangha continued selling illegal drugs for six months after Perry’s death, exhibiting a lack of remorse at the time.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
