Jasveen Sangha, the notorious drug dealer known in Hollywood circles as the “Queen of Ketamine,” has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in the death of Friends star Matthew Perry.
The 42-year-old was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty last year to five federal charges, including distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
The ruling brings an important sense of closure to the legal proceedings surrounding the actor’s tragic death in 2023, which shocked fans around the world.
The court heard how Sangha operated a high-volume drug trafficking business from her home in North Hollywood, specifically marketing herself as an exclusive distributor to high-profile celebrities.
Prosecutors argued that she deliberately ignored the “serious harm” her business was causing as she worked to increase her profits.
In the weeks before Perry’s death in October 2023, Sangha and an associate sold the actor 51 vials of ketamine. These were eventually given to Perry’s personal assistant, who administered at least three injections that proved fatal.
Matthew Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023.
While an autopsy later confirmed that the primary cause of death was the acute effects of ketamine, other factors such as drowning and coronary artery disease were also cited.
The investigation into his death revealed a wider network of people involved in the illegal supply of the drug, leading to several other guilty pleas.
Sangha’s partner and Perry’s own assistant pleaded guilty to narcotics charges and are currently awaiting their own sentences.
The sentence of the “Queen of Ketamine” is added to that of two other men linked to the case.
Salvador Plasencia is currently serving two and a half years in prison for his participation, while Mark Chavez received three years of probation.
For Sangha, the 15-year prison sentence marks the end of a trafficking operation that prosecutors say was built to address the vulnerabilities of Hollywood’s elite.
As the primary source of the drugs that killed one of television’s most beloved stars, his sentence is the most substantial punishment handed down in the investigation so far.
