Pop Culture

Matthew Perry Death: 'Ketamine Queen' Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

Jasveen Sangha pled guilty to five charges including distributing ketamine that caused Perry's death.

Actor Matthew Perry of the television show 'The Kennedys - After Camelot' speaks onstage during the REELZChannel portion of the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Langham Hotel on January 13, 2017 in Pasadena, California.
Image via Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Jasveen Sangha, known as the "Ketamine Queen," has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry.

Sangha, the 43-year-old who reportedly became notorious for distributing ketamine in North Hollywood, was sentenced Wednesday (April 8) in a Los Angeles courthouse, per TMZ and KABC-TV.

Last year, Sangha pled guilty to five criminal charges, including three counts of ketamine distribution, one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death, and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.

Prosecutors requested the 15-year sentence, while her lawyers sought time served, as she has been in custody since August 2024. She originally faced a maximum potential sentence of 65 years under her plea agreement.

The New York Times reported on the massive scale of Sangha's operation, noting that Perry's assistant purchased 50 vials of ketamine from her on the actor's behalf. When authorities raided Sangha’s apartment in March 2024, they discovered 79 vials of ketamine, alongside cocaine and three pounds of orange pills containing methamphetamine.

After Sangha learned of Perry's death through the news, she attempted to cover her tracks by instructing an associate to “delete all our messages.”

Perry, known for starring as Chandler Bing in Friends, was found dead in his hot tub in the Pacific Palisades in October 2023. The cause of his death was attributed to the "acute effects of ketamine.” The medical examiner also listed drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine (an opioid) as contributing factors.

Others connected to Perry's death are also facing prison time.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who illegally supplied the ketamine, pled guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine and was sentenced to 30 months.

Dr. Mark Chavez, who collaborated with Plasencia to supply the drug at a steep price hike, was sentenced to three years of supervised release—which includes eight months of home detention—and surrendered his medical license.

Finally, Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwasama and another dealer, Erik Fleming, have pled guilty and will be sentenced later this month.

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