A Los Angeles woman dubbed the “Queen of Ketamine” has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing the drugs that led to the death of actor Matthew Perry, famous for his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends.”
Jasveen Sangha, 42, pleaded guilty last September to five counts, including distribution of ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects that can be fatal if misused. According to News.ro, the judge emphasized that Sangha must answer for his actions and noted that he had shown no remorse in the period after his arrest.
Sangha broke down in tears as Perry’s relatives addressed the court and admitted: “My bad decisions have ruined people’s lives. I am deeply ashamed and sorry for what I have done”.
Before the sentencing, the actor’s stepmother, Debbie Perry, asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence. “You caused this… You, who have enough business talent to make money, chose the only path that hurts peopleshe said. “Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she can never hurt other families like ours.”
Descents and accusations
Federal authorities found dozens of vials of ketamine in Sangha’s North Hollywood home, as well as thousands of pills containing methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax. The woman allegedly supplied drugs in 2019, including to a man named Cody McLaury, who died hours after consuming ketamine purchased from her. Sangha initially denied the charges, but changed his plea in August, weeks before the trial.
She faced a maximum sentence of 65 years in federal prison and has been in custody since August 2024. Family and friends filed several letters of support with the court, and her lawyers asked for a lighter sentence, arguing that “took responsibility for serious criminal conduct” and had no criminal record.
Other people involved
Matthew Perry, who had struggled with substance addiction for years and used ketamine as part of his depression therapy, died in October 2023 in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home. The inquest found that the death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine.
Sangha is one of five people accused of supplying ketamine to the actor, taking advantage of his addiction. The other four pleaded guilty to their involvement. Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who supplied him with the drug in the weeks before his death, was sentenced in December to 30 months in prison. Dr. Mark Chavez, a physician from California, received eight months of house arrest and three years of parole. Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is due to be sentenced at the end of the month, and Eric Fleming, who sold him the ketamine obtained from Sangha, will be sentenced in June.
