The drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” who was convicted in the overdose death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry was sentenced to 15 years Wednesday for the crime.
Jasveen Sangha, 42, was one of five people who pleaded guilty for their roles in Perry’s 2023 death, but the only one whose plea deal included an acknowledgment of causing the actor’s death.
Sangha, a dual British-American citizen, operated a sophisticated drug distribution hub out of a “stash house” in her North Hollywood home. Federal prosecutors say she catered to “high-end” clients, using her profits to fund a and glamorous lifestyle.
Members of the actor’s family, including his mother and stepparents, were in attendance at the sentencing.
“The pain you’ve caused to hundreds maybe thousands is irreversible,” Debbie Perry, who is married to Matthew Perry’s father, John Bennett Perry, wrote in a victim impact statement ahead of the sentencing.
“There is no joy to be found, no light in the window. They won’t be back. That thought comes through our day everyday. No escape. You caused this. You who has talent for business. Enough to make money. Chose the one way that hurts people.”
She added: “To the court: please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours.”
Prosecutors said Sangha sold Perry a fatal batch of ketamine — specifically 25 vials of the drug for $6,000 — just four days before he died. Her plea deal included a direct admission that her drugs caused the actor’s death.
While her defense described her as an educated woman with a master’s degree who made a mistake, prosecutors pointed to her previous criminal record and initially sought 15 years of prison.
Before her indictment last year, the 42-year-old’s social media accounts showcased a jet-setting lifestyle, featuring photos of herself in luxurious settings in Spain, Japan and Dubai, as well as glimpses of her dual homes in London and Los Angeles.
Perry — widely known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom “Friends” — was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, 2023.
A medical examiner ruled his death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine, a surgical anesthetic.
Sangha became the third of five defendants to be sentenced after pleading guilty in connection with the overdose of the 54-year-old actor.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who illegally sold ketamine to Perry and injected him, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
Dr. Mark Chavez, a San Diego doctor who ran a ketamine clinic and was the source of the doses that Plasencia sold to Perry, received eight months of home detention and three years of supervised release.
Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and Erik Fleming have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
