A woman, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” admitted guilt on Wednesday to providing the drug that caused the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry.
Named Jasveen Sangha, she confessed to five federal offenses, including distributing the ketamine responsible for Perry’s passing. Initially slated for trial later this month, she is the last of five defendants in Perry’s overdose case to plead guilty.
Perry’s mother, Suzanne Perry, and his stepfather, “Dateline” reporter Keith Morrison, sat in the audience.
Authorities portrayed Sangha, a 42-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and U.K., as a major drug distributor. They frequently referred to her as the “Ketamine Queen” in official statements and legal papers.
Following an agreement she made on August 18, Sangha admitted to operating a drug-involved establishment, three counts of ketamine trafficking, and one count linked to distributing ketamine that led to death.
In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss three additional charges tied to ketamine distribution, along with a methamphetamine-related charge not connected to Perry’s case.
This final plea deal concludes a year-long legal effort since federal officials announced charges against five individuals for Perry’s death on October 28, 2023, after an extensive investigation.
Sangha is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10. She could get up to 65 years in prison. The judge is not bound to follow any terms of the plea agreement, but prosecutors said in the document that they will ask for less than the maximum. None of the co-defendants have been sentenced yet.
Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty in July, had been the primary targets of the investigation. Three other defendants — Dr. Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming — pleaded guilty in exchange for their cooperation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia.
Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home by Iwamasa, his assistant. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death.
Sangha presented a posh lifestyle on Instagram, with photos of herself with the rich and famous in cities around the globe. Prosecutors said she privately presented herself as a dealer who sold to the same kind of high-class customers.
Perry had been using ketamine through his regular doctor as a legal, but off-label, treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, sought more ketamine than his doctor would give him, and his search for more led him to Sangha through his friend Fleming about two weeks before his death, prosecutors said.
Fleming messaged Perry’s assistant saying her ketamine was “amazing” and that she deals only “with high end and celebs.”
Perry bought large amounts of ketamine from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 in cash four days before his death, prosecutors said.
On the day of Perry’s death, Sangha told Fleming they should delete all the messages they had sent each other, according to her indictment.
Sangha has been in federal custody for about a year.
Perry struggled with addiction for many years, dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit series.
