Ketamine Queen Agrees to Plead Guilty Regarding Role in Matthew Perry’s Death

Jasveen Sangha, also known as the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood, has agreed to plead guilty in connection to Matthew Perry’s death in 2023. Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, died at 54 after what the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner described as “the acute effects of ketamine.”

According to court documents obtained by USA Today, Sangha signed her plea agreement on August 14, and it was filed in court on August 18. The 42-year-old admitted she would plead guilty to five different charges, including one count of maintaining a drug-related premises, three counts of distributing ketamine, and one count of distributing ketamine that led to death or serious injury.

Prosecutors say these charges carry heavy penalties. She could face up to 20 years for the premises charge, 10 years for each distribution count, and a maximum of 15 years for the charge tied directly to Perry’s death.

In a statement to USA Today, Sangha’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, said, “She’s taking responsibility for her actions.”

The case against Sangha revealed disturbing details. Prosecutors explained that in October 2023, she worked with Erik Fleming, who was described as an acquaintance of Perry. Together, they sold 51 vials of ketamine to Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa later injected Perry with the drug. Both Fleming and Iwamasa had already reached plea deals earlier in the investigation.

Sangha’s history with ketamine goes back further. In her plea deal, she admitted to selling ketamine in 2019 that led to the death of another Los Angeles resident, Cody McLaury. Prosecutors argued that this earlier case showed she knew just how dangerous ketamine could be. They said in an August 15 press release that Sangha “was aware of the danger of ketamine.” As part of her guilty plea, she will also be required to pay restitution to the families of both Perry and McLaury.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California confirmed the plea agreement in an August 18 statement but declined to comment further. Sangha’s trial had originally been set for September 23 in Los Angeles.

Authorities had long referred to Sangha as the “Ketamine Queen” in court documents. She had been accused of running her drug business from her home in North Hollywood since 2019, storing and distributing drugs like methamphetamine and ketamine.

Perry was found unresponsive in his hot tub at his home in Pacific Palisades on October 28, 2023. He was declared dead at 4:17 pm. Later, the medical examiner revealed that other health issues contributed to his death, including coronary artery disease, the effects of buprenorphine, and drowning. Still, the main cause was ketamine, which in high amounts can cause both heart and breathing failure.

Though Perry had been undergoing ketamine-assisted therapy for anxiety, doctors confirmed that his treatment sessions could not have caused his death, since ketamine leaves the body within hours.

Sangha now faces sentencing, which could put her behind bars for decades.

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