'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha faces 45 years after guilty plea in Matthew Perry overdose case

Highlights:

• British-American woman dubbed “Ketamine Queen” admits to supplying drugs that killed Friends actor
• Faces up to 45 years in federal prison after plea deal with prosecutors
• Sangha ran a North Hollywood “stash house” that supplied high-end clients with ketamine
• She is the fifth and final defendant to plead guilty in the Matthew Perry overdose case

Matthew Perry’s shocking death in October 2023 continues to reverberate through Hollywood as a woman known as the “Ketamine Queen” has pleaded guilty in the Matthew Perry overdose case. Jasveen Sangha, a 42-year-old dual citizen of the UK and the US, admitted to distributing ketamine that led to the Friends star’s fatal overdose. Her plea deal also ties her to a second fatality and exposes a darker side of celebrity drug networks.

Jasveen Sangha known as the Ketamine Queen pleads guilty in Matthew Perry case Getty Images/ Instagram/_thejuggernaut

Who is Jasveen Sangha and why was she called the “Ketamine Queen”?

Sangha earned her nickname from prosecutors after allegedly running a drug distribution hub out of her North Hollywood home, dubbed the “Sangha Stash House” in indictments. Federal agents seized more than 80 vials of ketamine along with methamphetamine, cocaine, Xanax, and cash during a raid in March 2024.

According to court filings, Sangha was known for supplying high-end clients, including people in Hollywood circles. On social media, she flaunted a glamorous lifestyle of international trips and celebrity parties, masking her role in a dangerous drug pipeline.

Jasveen Sangha admitted to selling drugs to high-end Hollywood clientsInstagram/bollywoodstreetsnap

What charges did Sangha plead guilty to in the Matthew Perry overdose case?

In her plea agreement, Sangha admitted to five federal charges: maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of ketamine distribution, and one count of distribution resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

She becomes the fifth and final defendant to plead guilty in the Matthew Perry overdose case. Others include Perry’s personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, two doctors—Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia, and supplier Erik Fleming. Together, they admitted to exploiting Perry’s addiction by supplying him with escalating doses of ketamine in the weeks leading up to his death.

Matthew Perry died at 54 from the acute effects of ketamineGetty Images

How did ketamine contribute to Matthew Perry’s death?

The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled that Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine” after being injected multiple times by his assistant on 28 October 2023. The drug, normally used as an anaesthetic under medical supervision, can cause hallucinations and dissociation.

Perry had legally been prescribed ketamine as an experimental treatment for depression, but prosecutors say he turned to underground suppliers, including Sangha, when his legitimate prescriptions ran out. Days before his death, Perry allegedly paid £4,700 (₹5,00,000) in cash for 25 vials of unmarked ketamine supplied by Sangha.

Matthew Perry’s death linked to Jasveen Sangha’s ketamine supplyGetty Images

What sentence does Jasveen Sangha face?

Sangha faces a maximum of 45 years in federal prison when sentenced later this year. While judges are not bound by plea agreements, prosecutors have indicated they will recommend less than the maximum term.

As part of her deal, Sangha also admitted to selling ketamine to another man, Cody McLaury, who died of an overdose in 2019. Prosecutors said this highlights a longer history of dangerous drug sales beyond her connection to Matthew Perry.

Prosecutors said Sangha ran a North Hollywood stash house supplying ketamineInstagram/_thejuggernaut

The Justice Department confirmed that Sangha also agreed not to contest the forfeiture of assets seized in the investigation, including thousands in cash.