Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” has agreed to plead guilty to charges connected to the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry, the US Department of Justice announced on Monday. The 42-year-old will plead guilty to five charges in Los Angeles, including one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Sangha is the fifth and final defendant charged in the case. The others include Dr Salvador Plasencia, Dr Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa and Eric Fleming, who have yet to be sentenced.
Iwamasa, who worked as Perry’s live-in assistant, helped the actor purchase and inject ketamine. Fleming reportedly sold the ketamine he had obtained from Sangha to Perry. Federal prosecutors described Sangha’s Los Angeles home as a “drug-selling emporium.” She is expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks to finalise her plea agreement.
Who Is ‘Ketamine Queen’ Jasveen Sangha?
Sangha, a dual US-UK citizen, lived a lavish lifestyle, often flaunting luxury vacations and beauty treatments on social media. She graduated from Calabasas High in 2001, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine in 2005, and completed her MBA at Hult Business School in 2010.
Authorities alleged that she ran an underground drug network from her North Hollywood residence, where investigators seized 80 vials of ketamine and thousands of pills, including methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax, before her arrest in March 2024. Reports said she sold Perry 25 vials of ketamine for $6,000 just four days before his death.
In 2019, one of her clients, Cody McLaury, also died of a ketamine overdose after purchasing from her. Following his death, she allegedly searched online, “Can ketamine be listed as a cause of death?”
Sangha has been in federal custody since August 2024 and now faces up to 65 years in prison. Federal prosecutors said her sentence could be reduced if she accepts full responsibility. Her lawyer, Mark Geragos, stated, “My client is accepting her responsibilities.”
What Happened to Matthew Perry?
Matthew Perry, 54, was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. An autopsy revealed he had high levels of ketamine in his system, which the medical examiner identified as the primary cause of death.
The case prompted a criminal investigation soon after Perry’s death. Ketamine, typically used as a surgical anaesthetic, was confirmed to have caused the actor’s sudden passing.
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