Jasveen Sangha 'Ketamine Queen' pleads guilty in Matthew Perry drug death case

Jasveen Sangha pleads guilty in Matthew Perry death case

A woman infamously nicknamed the “Ketamine Queen” has admitted her part in supplying the drugs that led to the untimely death of Friends star Matthew Perry.

Jasveen Sangha, aged 42, has agreed to plead guilty to five criminal charges in Los Angeles, among them one count of distributing ketamine that resulted in death or serious bodily harm, the US Department of Justice confirmed.

As per BBC, Jasveen, who holds both American and British nationality, had initially faced nine separate counts. Federal prosecutors branded her Los Angeles residence a “drug-selling emporium”, after a raid uncovered dozens of ketamine vials alongside a large stash of illicit substances.

Mathhew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing, was found lifeless in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home in October 2023. A post-mortem confirmed that his death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine.

According to investigators, Jasveen was one of five individuals who enabled Perry’s access to the drug, exploiting his well-documented struggles with addiction. The network allegedly involved two doctors — Dr Salvador Plasencia and Dr Mark Chavez — who supplied ketamine; Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who not only helped purchase the drug but also injected him with it; and Eric Fleming, who resold ketamine obtained from Sangha directly to Perry. All five have since agreed to plead guilty.

Jasveen Sangha’s long-delayed trial had been due to begin next month, but she will now appear in federal court within weeks to formally enter her plea. Her lawyer, Mark Geragos, told the BBC: “she’s taking responsibility for her actions.”

As part of the agreement, Sangha will admit to maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distributing ketamine, and one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious injury. She faces a possible maximum sentence of 65 years in federal prison.

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The Justice Department also linked Sangha to the fatal overdose of Cody McLaury in 2019, hours after he purchased ketamine from her. Authorities allege that since at least 2019 she had been supplying drugs to high-profile clients from her North Hollywood property — dubbed the “Sangha Stash House” — where officials discovered more than 80 vials of ketamine along with thousands of pills, including methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax.

Beyond her criminal activities, Sangha was known to socialise within celebrity circles, reportedly attending the Golden Globes and Oscars. Her social media portrayed a life of luxury, filled with parties and international travel to destinations such as Japan and Mexico.