In a case that has gripped Hollywood and reignited debate over celebrity addiction and prescription drug abuse, Jasveen Sangha, a 42-year-old drug dealer known as the "Ketamine Queen," pleaded guilty in federal court on September 3, 2025, to supplying the ketamine that led to the tragic death of beloved actor Matthew Perry. The plea marks the conclusion of a sweeping investigation that saw five individuals charged in connection with Perry’s fatal overdose in October 2023, a moment that stunned fans and castmates alike.
According to The Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press, Sangha admitted to five federal charges: 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. The charges stem from her role as a high-volume supplier of ketamine, a drug that, while approved as an anesthetic, has surged in popularity both as a party drug and as an off-label treatment for mental health conditions like depression and PTSD.
Perry, known worldwide for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on NBC’s hit sitcom Friends, had a long, public struggle with addiction. He had reportedly begun using ketamine legally through his doctor as a treatment for depression. However, prosecutors revealed that by late September 2023, Perry sought more of the drug than his physician would provide, leading him to seek out Sangha through an acquaintance, Erik Fleming, a former producer and drug counseling worker.
Just two weeks before his death, Fleming connected Perry with Sangha, who prosecutors described as someone who "deals only with high end and celebs." According to the plea agreement, Perry purchased 25 vials of ketamine for $6,000 in cash from Sangha just four days before his death. In total, Sangha and Fleming sold Perry 51 vials of ketamine in October 2023, which were delivered to Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa, 60, then injected Perry with the drug multiple times on the day he died in his Los Angeles home, as detailed in court documents.
On October 28, 2023, Perry was found lifeless in his ocean-view hot tub. The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled that ketamine toxicity was the primary cause of death, a finding that sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and fueled calls for greater scrutiny of both recreational and therapeutic ketamine use.
Sangha’s legal troubles extend beyond Perry’s case. She also admitted to selling four vials of ketamine to Cody McLaury, a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident, in August 2019. McLaury died hours later from a drug overdose that included ketamine. After receiving a message from one of McLaury’s family members stating the ketamine caused his death, Sangha reportedly Googled, "Can ketamine be listed as a cause of death?"—a detail prosecutors cited as evidence of her awareness of the drug’s dangers.
During her plea hearing, Sangha, clad in tan jail attire, stood beside her attorney, Mark Geragos, and repeated "guilty" five times as Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett read each charge. Perry’s mother, Suzanne Perry, and his stepfather, Dateline reporter Keith Morrison, were present in the courtroom for the first time since the indictments were announced a year earlier. According to the Associated Press, Sangha hedged slightly when asked if she knew the ketamine she gave Fleming was destined for Perry, saying, "There was no way I could tell 100%." But she ultimately accepted responsibility for her role in the chain of events.
Outside the courthouse, Geragos told reporters, "She feels horrible about all of this. Nobody wants to be in the chain of causation for lack of a better term." He added that Sangha has "felt horrible since day one" and indicated he would present mitigating evidence at her sentencing, scheduled for December 10, 2025. Despite facing a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison, federal prosecutors have indicated they may seek a reduced sentence if Sangha continues to accept responsibility for her actions.
The investigation into Perry’s death was far-reaching, resulting in charges against four other individuals who have all since pleaded guilty. Fleming, the middleman who connected Perry to Sangha, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death; he faces up to 25 years in federal prison at his November sentencing. Iwamasa, Perry’s assistant who administered the fatal injections, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and causing death, with a potential sentence of up to 15 years. Two physicians—Dr. Mark Chavez of San Diego and Salvador Plasencia, known as "Dr. P"—also pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine and await sentencing, facing up to 10 years each for their roles in the supply chain.
Prosecutors painted Sangha as a prolific and careful operator, describing her North Hollywood apartment as the "Sangha stash house." A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent noted in court filings that Sangha kept handwritten records detailing thousands of dollars in drug transactions. She also used encrypted messaging apps and coded language to communicate with clients, and after news of Perry’s death broke, she contacted Fleming via Signal to discuss deleting incriminating messages. Sangha instructed Fleming, "Delete all our messages," and changed her app settings to automatically erase their chat history.
As the case unfolded, it also highlighted the blurred lines between medical professionals, recreational dealers, and the vulnerable individuals caught in between. Sangha, a dual citizen of the U.S. and U.K., presented a glamorous lifestyle on social media, associating with celebrities and the wealthy in cities around the world. Yet, behind the scenes, she was supplying dangerous drugs to high-profile clients, sometimes with fatal consequences.
Perry’s death, and the subsequent legal fallout, have reignited conversations about the risks of ketamine, its increasing use as a mental health treatment, and the responsibilities of those who prescribe, supply, and administer such drugs. The case has also raised questions about the accountability of medical professionals and the broader system that allowed Perry’s addiction to persist despite repeated attempts at recovery.
With sentencing hearings for all defendants scheduled in the coming months, the families of both Perry and McLaury—as well as the wider public—are left to grapple with the enduring pain of addiction and the tragic consequences when those entrusted with care or responsibility fail to intervene.
For now, as the legal process nears its conclusion, the story of Matthew Perry’s final days stands as a sobering reminder of the perils lurking behind Hollywood’s glittering facade—and the human cost of a crisis that continues to claim lives, famous or not.
