Jasveen Sangha, described by prosecutors as the “Queen of Ketamine,” pleaded guilty to five felonies, including three counts of distributing ketamine in the death of Matthew Perry.
Jasvin Sangha sentenced to 15 years in prison for Matthew Perry’s death
Jasveen Sangha, the woman who distributed ketamine and caused the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry in 2023, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Jasveen Sangha, the woman who distributed ketamine and caused the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry in 2023, has been sentenced in a criminal case.
U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Garnett sentenced Sangha, described by prosecutors as North Hollywood’s “Queen of Ketamine,” to 15 years in prison during a hearing Wednesday, April 8, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The sentence is consistent with the recommended sentence proposed by federal prosecutors and is harsher than any of Sangha’s four co-defendants in the case.
“In order to expand his business, (Sangha) marketed himself as an exclusive dealer to prominent Hollywood clients,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum. “(Sangha) sought to expand and profit from drug trafficking, but he knew and ignored the serious harm his actions were causing.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Sangha’s attorney and U.S. prosecutors for comment.
Jasveen Sangha’s lawyer reacts to Matthew Perry case verdict
Mark Geragos, Jasveen Sangha’s lawyer, said he was “deeply disappointed” that she was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the death of Matthew Perry.
Perry, best known for his role as the wisecracking Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom, was found dead in his Los Angeles hot tub in October 2023 after a decades-long battle with substance abuse. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the 54-year-old’s death sparked a criminal investigation and led to several arrests, including Sangha.
The ruling came seven months after Sangha pleaded guilty to five felonies in Perry’s overdose death. The charges included one count of managing a facility involving drugs, three counts of distributing ketamine, and one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious injury.
Prosecutors previously said she could initially be sentenced to up to 65 years in prison. The statutory maximum prison sentence is 20 years for the drug facility-related charges, up to 10 years for each of the three counts of ketamine distribution, and up to 15 years for the ketamine distribution that led to Perry’s death.
According to prosecutors, in October 2023, Sangha worked with Eric Fleming, an alleged acquaintance of Perry, to sell 51 vials of ketamine to Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s live-in assistant. Iwamasa injected Perry with a short-acting anesthetic. Fleming and Iwamasa had previously entered into plea deals with prosecutors.
All five defendants charged in connection with Perry’s death, Sangha, Fleming, Iwamasa, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, and Dr. Mark Chavez, have pleaded guilty.
An autopsy report in December 2023 found that Perry’s death was an accident and that the cause of death was “the acute effects of ketamine.” Contributing factors were drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine.
Matthew Perry’s parents appear at Jasveen Sangha’s sentencing hearing
Perry’s parents, mother Suzanne Perry and stepfather Keith Morrison, were present at Sangha’s sentencing hearing, as seen in photos from the legal proceedings.
One photo shows Perry’s mother and a Dateline correspondent walking hand in hand as they arrive at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles.
Suzanne Perry reflected on Perry’s death and her struggle with substance abuse in an October 2024 interview with Today, which coincided with the first anniversary of her son’s death.
“I was devastated that he wasn’t there,” Suzanne Perry said. “I’m a very lucky woman. But there was one problem, one problem I couldn’t solve. I couldn’t overcome it, I couldn’t help him.”
Is Jasveen Sangha in jail?
Yes, Sangha has been in prison since August 2024.
Prior to her sentencing, her defense attorney had asked the judge to limit her sentence to the time already served.
‘Ketamine Queen’ Jasveen Sangha’s sentence is reversed on appeal
Sangha had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges against her, and her attorney Mark Geragos maintained his innocence in a Peacock documentary special released in February last year.
“My client has never met Matthew Perry and has no relationship with him. All other rumors are just urban legends,” Geragos said in an interview included in the feature. “This theory that this so-called lethal dose is related to my client is complete garbage.”
However, according to Sangha’s September plea agreement, she had been storing, packaging and distributing drugs including methamphetamine and ketamine in her home since June 2019.
In his plea agreement, Sangha also admitted to selling the ketamine that caused the overdose death of Los Angeles resident Cody McCrory in 2019, four years before Perry’s death. In an August 2024 press release, prosecutors cited McCrory’s death as evidence that Sangha was “aware of the dangers of ketamine.”
As part of her guilty plea, she will be required to pay “full restitution to the victims” to Mr Perry and Mr McCrory.
Matthew Perry’s stepmother claims Jasveen Sangha is to blame for actor’s death in emotional statement
The day before Sangha’s sentencing, prosecutors filed a victim impact statement on behalf of Perry’s stepmother, Debbie Perry.
Debbie Perry, who is married to Perry’s father, John Bennett Perry, wrote: “The pain you have caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible. There is no joy to be found and no light in the window.” “They’re not coming back. That thought comes to us every day.”
She went on to say there was “no escaping” these feelings and criticized Sangha for its role in Perry’s death.
“You caused this,” Debbie Perry said. “You, who were good at business and good enough to make money, chose a path that only hurt people. How sad for you. How can you find joy? Have you ever found joy? How sad for all of us. We will miss him.”
At the end of her poetic letter, Debbie Perry asked the court to impose the maximum prison sentence so that Sangha “cannot harm other families like ours.”
If you or someone you know needs help battling substance abuse addiction, please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributed by KiMi Robinson and Anika Reed, USA TODAY; Reuters
