Topline:
Jasveen Sangha, a North Hollywood woman known as the “Ketamine Queen,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in selling actor Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023.
What we know: Sangha pleaded guilty last September to five counts, including distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Sangha’s lawyers did not respond to LAist’s request for comment.
Background: Perry died in October 2023 in his Los Angeles home. The L.A. County medical examiner determined the cause was “acute effects of ketamine.” According to the plea agreement, Sangha worked with alleged drug dealer Erik Fleming to distribute ketamine to Perry.
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On October 28, 2023, Perry’s personal assistant injected the actor with at least three shots of ketamine provided by Sangha. Those shots caused Perry’s death.
What prosecutors say: In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said Sangha “operated a high-volume drug trafficking business” out of her North Hollywood home.
“To cultivate her business, [Sangha] marketed herself as an exclusive dealer who catered to high-profile Hollywood clientele…While [Sangha] worked to expand and profit from her drug trafficking, she knew – and disregarded – the grave harm her conduct was causing,” the memo stated.
Who else has been sentenced? Sangha is the third defendant sentenced in Perry’s overdose death. For their roles in Perry’s death, San Diego physician Mark Chavez was sentenced to eight months of house arrest, along with community service, and Santa Monica-based doctor Salvador Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
What’s next? Fleming and Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, are scheduled for sentencing later this month.