Jasveen Sangha, the notorious drug dealer known in Hollywood circles as the “Ketamine Queen”, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in the death Friends star Matthew Perry.
The 42-year-old was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty last year to five federal charges, which included distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
The ruling brings a distinct sense of closure to the trial surrounding the actor’s tragic death in 2023, which shocked fans across the globe.
The court heard how Sangha ran a high-volume drug trade from his home in North Hollywood, specifically marketing himself as an exclusive dealer to high-profile celebrities.
Prosecutors claimed she deliberately ignored the “serious harm” her business was causing as she worked to expand her profits.
In the weeks leading up to Perry’s death in October 2023, Sangha and a colleague sold the actor 51 vials of ketamine. These were eventually delivered to Perry’s personal assistant, who administered at least three injections that proved fatal.
Matthew Perry was found dead in a jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles 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 associate and Perry’s own assistant have both pleaded guilty to drug charges and are currently awaiting their own sentences.
The sentence of the “Ketamine Queen” follows that of two other men connected to the case.
Salvador Plasencia is currently serving two and a half years in prison for his involvement, while Mark Chavez received three years of probation.
For Sangha, the 15-year prison sentence marks the end of a human-trafficking operation that prosecutors say was built to prey on the vulnerabilities of Hollywood’s elite.
As the primary source of the drugs that killed one of television’s most beloved stars, her sentence stands as the most substantial sentence handed down in the investigation to date.
