‘Ketamine Queen’ accused of selling fatal dose to Matthew Perry agrees to plead guilty

Jasveen Sangha, the woman known as the “Ketamine Queen” and the final defendant in the criminal case for the death of the “Friends” star Matthew Perry in 2023 due to “acute effects of ketamine”, has agreed to plead guilty in the case. Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the “Friends” star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. She initially pleaded not guilty, but her change of plea means she’ll avoid the trial planned for August.

According to the plea agreement that was signed on Aug. 14 and filed on Aug. 18, Sangha said she would plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

Prosecutors described Sangha as “The Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood when announcing charges against her in August 2024. They used the term “Ketamine Queen” in press releases and court documents and even included it in the official name of the case.

Sangha’s attorney, Mark Geragos, said, “She’s taking responsibility for her actions.”

In July, Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of illegal distribution of ketamine.

Sangha will officially change her plea to guilty at an upcoming hearing, where sentencing will be scheduled, prosecutors said. She could get up to 45 years in prison.

She and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who signed his own plea deal June 16, had been the primary targets of the investigation. Three other defendants—Dr. Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa, and Erik Fleming—agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia.

‘Friends’ star was found dead in his Los Angeles home

Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home by Iwamasa, his assistant, on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anaesthetic, was the primary cause of death.

The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor as a legal, but off-label, treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common.

Perry, 54, sought more ketamine than his doctor would give him. He started getting it from Plasencia about a month before his death, then started getting still more from Sangha about two weeks before his death, prosecutors said.

Perry and Iwamasa found Sangha through Perry’s friend Fleming. In their plea agreements, both men described the subsequent deals in detail.

Perry bought large amounts of ketamine four days before his death

Perry bought large amounts of ketamine from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 in cash four days before his death. That purchase included the doses that killed Perry, prosecutors said.

Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit series.