The tragic death of Matthew Perry, the beloved actor best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the iconic sitcom Friends, has finally reached a legal turning point. After nearly two years of investigations, court proceedings, and emotional reckonings, the last of five defendants charged in connection with Perry’s fatal overdose has agreed to plead guilty. The woman at the center of the storm, Jasveen Sangha—dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" of Los Angeles—now faces the possibility of spending decades behind bars for her role in the events that led to the actor’s untimely demise.
According to Reuters, Sangha, 42, struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors on August 18, 2025, just one day before her trial was set to begin. Under the agreement, she will plead guilty to five federal charges: maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distributing ketamine, and one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death. The charges stem from her operation of an illegal narcotics “stash house” in North Hollywood, where she distributed ketamine and methamphetamine over several years. The U.S. Justice Department stated that Sangha’s sentencing could see her imprisoned for up to 65 years, with the charge of maintaining a drug den alone carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Matthew Perry died on October 28, 2023, at age 54, after being found unresponsive in his hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. As reported by The New York Times, medical examiners determined that Perry’s cause of death was an accidental overdose from acute effects of ketamine, which caused him to lose consciousness and drown. The drug in his system was not related to the ketamine infusion therapy he had previously received for mental health treatment. In fact, interviews cited in his autopsy confirmed he had been sober for 19 months, and there was no evidence of a recent relapse or drug paraphernalia at the scene.
The investigation that followed Perry’s death was exhaustive. The Los Angeles Police Department, working closely with federal authorities, uncovered a complex web of drug distribution. As Fox News detailed, Sangha supplied at least 51 vials of ketamine from her North Hollywood home to a go-between dealer, Erik Fleming. Fleming, in turn, sold the doses to Perry through the actor’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Prosecutors asserted that Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of ketamine from Sangha’s supply, ultimately resulting in the actor’s fatal overdose. It was Iwamasa who later found Perry lifeless in the hot tub.
But Perry’s case was not Sangha’s only brush with tragedy. In her plea agreement, she also admitted to selling four vials of ketamine to a man named Cody McLaury in August 2019, hours before he died from an overdose. This pattern of dangerous distribution, prosecutors argued, underscored a reckless disregard for human life.
After news of Perry’s death broke, Sangha attempted to cover her tracks. According to court filings cited by Reuters, she tried to erase her communications with Fleming on the Signal app, urging him to "Delete all our messages." Federal authorities also noted that she had previously tried to delete messages after Perry’s death, including those with her co-defendants about the actor.
As the investigation unfolded, four other individuals were charged alongside Sangha: two physicians, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez; Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; and Erik Fleming, the intermediary. All have since pleaded guilty to various charges. Dr. Plasencia, who ran an urgent care clinic, admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine both at the actor’s home and in the back seat of a parked car. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of four counts of ketamine distribution. Dr. Chavez, accused of illegally supplying ketamine to Plasencia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drug. Sentencing for these co-defendants is scheduled for later in 2025, with Plasencia currently out on bond and Chavez’s sentencing set for September.
For the millions who adored Matthew Perry, the legal resolution brings a bittersweet sense of closure. Perry’s struggles with addiction were no secret. He chronicled his decades-long battle with prescription painkillers and alcohol in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, published just a year before his death. As Reuters reported, Perry himself acknowledged that his addiction had nearly cost him his life on multiple occasions. Yet, by all accounts, he had been fighting hard for his sobriety in the months leading up to his passing.
The emotional toll of Perry’s death extended far beyond his family. His Friends castmates, who formed a close-knit bond over ten seasons of the hit NBC sitcom, mourned his loss deeply. In a heartfelt interview with Vanity Fair, Jennifer Aniston reflected on the group’s efforts to support Perry through his struggles. "We did everything we could when we could," she said. "But it almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight. As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better. I’m glad he’s out of that pain."
For prosecutors, Sangha’s guilty plea represents the final chapter in a complex, high-profile case. As reported by TMZ, her decision to plead guilty not only avoids a lengthy trial but also spares her from an upcoming hearing scheduled in the weeks ahead. The plea agreement, which led prosecutors to drop several other charges, was likely influenced by the mounting evidence and the guilty pleas of her co-defendants. Sangha’s attorney, Mark Geragos, explained to NBC that she is "finally taking responsibility for her actions," a marked shift from her earlier not-guilty plea and public statements questioning the criminality of the case.
Matthew Perry’s death, and the legal reckoning that followed, serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by illicit drug distribution—even among those who appear to have found stability. As the dust settles, fans and loved ones continue to grieve, but the resolution brings some measure of accountability for those whose actions contributed to a loss felt around the world.
