Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles,” has agreed to plead guilty to multiple drug charges tied to Matthew Perry’s death and will avoid a trial that was set to begin next month
In a dramatic last-minute shift, Jasveen Sangha, who has famously been dubbed as the “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles”, has agreed to plead guilty in relation to Friends star Matthew Perry’s death, just weeks before her trial was due to begin.
The 42-year-old, who had previously denied the charges, was the final defendant out of five accused in connection with Perry’s death to reach a plea deal. She has been behind bars since August of last year.
Her trial had been scheduled for August 19, later pushed to September 23 but it is now a court date she will avoid entirely. It comes after it was revealed Sangha could face decades in prison following her role in Perry’s death.
Sangha will plead guilty to five federal charges: maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of ketamine distribution, and one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily harm.
The “Ketamine Queen” will enter the deal within the coming weeks, according to the Justice Department.
Sangha could spend the rest of her life behind bars, with a combined maximum sentence of 55 years now hanging over her following her decision to plead guilty in connection with Perry’s death.
One of the charges, which is maintaining a drug-involved premises, carries a potential 20-year sentence. The three counts of ketamine distribution each come with a 10-year maximum, while the most severe charge, distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily harm, adds another possible 15 years.
These charges stem from a wider investigation into the circumstances surrounding Perry’s death. The Friends star was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023.
While sentencing has not yet been scheduled, Sangha now awaits the court’s decision on just how much of that 55-year maximum she could actually serve.
Sangha would have been the sole defendant heading to court in connection with the actor’s sudden death. Four others, including the Friends’ star’s personal assistant and his doctor, have struck plea deals with prosecutors.
Prosecutors have claimed that Sangha portrayed herself as a “celebrity drug dealer with high-quality goods” and sold Perry at least 25 vials of ketamine just days before he died in October 2023.
His personal assistant admitted in court to buying the vials for $6,000 (£4,508) in cash.
A post-mortem confirmed Perry drowned in his hot tub after taking a lethal dose of ketamine, a powerful anaesthetic increasingly used in mental health treatment.
Investigators say the actor had been undergoing ketamine therapy for depression through legal prescriptions but was taking it up to eight times a day and began seeking additional supplies illicitly.
Court documents allege the actor turned to Sangha after his physician, Dr Salvador Plasencia, refused to continue prescribing high volumes of the drug.
Plasencia later pleaded guilty to distribution along with Perry’s assistant, a friend, and another doctor. None have yet been sentenced.
Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the long-running sitcom Friends, had battled addiction for much of his adult life.
In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he wrote candidly about his decades-long struggle with substance abuse, including multiple stints in rehab and near-death experiences.
Despite setbacks, Perry had spoken openly about his hopes for recovery and his desire to help others struggling with addiction.
His sudden death in October 2023 at his home in Pacific Palisades sent shockwaves through Hollywood, and fans mourned the loss of one of television’s most beloved comic actors.
Sangha remains in custody.
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