*Jasveen Sangha* resident operated a drug distribution network from her apartment in the neighborhood for years before her arrest.
Jasveen Sangha, the North Hollywood drug dealer known as the 'Ketamine Queen,' was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for selling the ketamine that killed actor Matthew Perry.
*Jasveen Sangha* resident operated a drug distribution network from her apartment in the neighborhood for years before her arrest.
The sentencing marks the latest chapter in the case that has drawn global attention since the "Friends" star died in October 2023.
According to the federal indictment, Sangha used her apartment in a midrise complex in North Hollywood to produce, stockpile, and sell illicit drugs over a five-year period. She acknowledged in her plea agreement that her residence had functioned as a distribution hub starting no later than 2019, according to court filings.
Law enforcement agents recovered a variety of substances during a search of her home in March 2024. The haul included cocaine, counterfeit Xanax, methamphetamine pills, and nearly 80 vials of liquid ketamine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"Prosecutors alleged that Sangha operated a drug distribution network from her North Hollywood home for several years," according to the U.S. Department of Justice press release on April 8.
After Dr. Salvador Plasencia reduced his ketamine distribution, Sangha became the main supplier of the drug to Perry, according to court documents. In October 2023, Sangha collaborated with drug addiction counselor Erik Fleming to provide ketamine to the actor.
She first supplied a sample of the drug in an unbranded glass vial capped with a blue lid. Following that initial exchange, she sold approximately 50 vials to Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, through Fleming, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors stated that the specific dose responsible for Perry's death came from one of the vials Sangha sold. Perry was found dead in his backyard hot tub in October 2023. The medical examiner ruled ketamine as the primary cause of death, with drowning as a secondary cause.
Friends of Sangha say they were shocked by the revelation of her drug dealing. Nicole Russo, who knew Sangha since around 2011, spoke to Fox News Digital about the betrayal she felt.
"I feel betrayed," Russo said. "We're talking about someone who was a friend of mine. I didn't know the other side of what was going on. And so many lives were affected. She was living two lives."
Russo said Sangha never discussed drugs or openly used them in her presence.
"I wouldn't have been so friendly if I had seen her in a situation where she was all drugged out," Russo said.
On her social media profiles, Sangha cultivated an image as a curator of art and a frequent traveler between London and Los Angeles. In the months following Perry's death, she documented travels to Japan and Mexico, posting photos of herself enjoying luxury amenities such as caviar and afternoon tea, according to the New York Times.
Federal Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced Sangha to 15 years in prison on April 8. Prosecutors had sought 15 years plus three years of supervised release. Sangha's lawyers had requested she be sentenced to time served, according to court records.
Sangha pleaded guilty on September 3, 2025, to five federal charges. Those charges included one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of distribution resulting in death, and three counts of ketamine distribution. The crimes carried a maximum sentence of up to 65 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sangha has remained in federal custody since August 2024, when her bail was revoked following a second indictment.
Sangha was the fourth of five people to be sentenced in connection with Perry's death. The other defendants include:
Fleming told the court he was "haunted by the mistakes" he made.
"It's truly a nightmare I can't wake from," Fleming told Judge Garnett, according to BBC News.
Sangha, 42, was born in London and grew up in Calabasas, California. She graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelor's degree in social sciences and earned an M.B.A. from Hult International Business School in London, according to court records.
This article was generated with AI assistance.