Jasveen Sangha, nicknamed the "Ketamine Queen" by prosecutors, was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison in Los Angeles for her role in the ketamine sale that led to the death of actor Matthew Perry, star of FriendsFederal judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down a sentence in line with the prosecution's request, while Sangha faced up to 65 years in prison.
A drug network at the heart of the tragedy
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jasveen Sangha pleaded guilty in September 2025 to five charges: maintaining a place of drug trafficking, three counts of distributing ketamine, and one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily harm. Authorities describe her as a dealer based in North Hollywood, operating a drug business from her home, primarily targeting an affluent clientele in Los Angeles.
How Matthew Perry obtained the deadly ketamine
The investigation established that in October 2023, Sangha worked with intermediary Erik Fleming to supply Matthew Perry with 51 vials of ketamine, which were then given to the actor's personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. On October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three doses from this supply, before the actor was found dead in his hot tub at his Los Angeles home. The autopsy concluded that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning and other contributing factors.
A trafficker accused of having acted knowingly
Prosecutors argued that Sangha was fully aware of what she was doing and that she was continuing a lucrative drug trafficking operation despite the risks. The Justice Department also alleges that she had previously sold ketamine in 2019 to another individual, Cody McLaury, who died a few hours later from an overdose. After Matthew Perry's death, she allegedly exchanged messages with Fleming on Signal in an attempt to distance herself from the case and requested that their messages be deleted.
A house transformed into a veritable “drug shop”
During a search of his home in March 2024, law enforcement discovered 79 bottles of liquid ketamine, thousands of methamphetamine tablets, counterfeit Xanax tablets, ecstasy, cocaine, packaging materials, scales, a money counting machine, a signal detector and hidden cameras, as well as $5,723 in cash. These items strengthened the prosecution's argument that Sangha's house operated as a veritable drug storage and distribution hub.
Remorse deemed insufficient by the justice system
At the hearing, Sangha expressed remorse and admitted to having taken "horrible decisions"Her defense argued for a sentence limited to the time already served in custody since August 2024, highlighting her clean criminal record and efforts at rehabilitation. However, the judge determined that she had continued selling drugs for several months after Perry's death, which weighed against any leniency.
The undiminished grief of Matthew Perry's family
Matthew Perry's family also spoke out. His stepfather, journalist Keith Morrison, described the daily pain and recalled that the actor "should have had several more acts in his life"Sangha is the only one of the five people prosecuted to have explicitly admitted, in her plea agreement, direct responsibility for the death of Matthew Perry.
Other convictions in a larger case
The case also implicated several other individuals. Dr. Salvador Plasencia has already been sentenced to 30 months in prison for distributing ketamine, while Dr. Mark Chavez received a three-year probation sentence and eight months of house arrest. Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming are still awaiting sentencing in the coming months.
