The Fall of Jasveen Sangha: ‘Ketamine Queen’ Pleads Guilty in ‘Friends’ Actor Matthew Perry’s Overdose Case

The life of Jasveen Sangha reads like a Hollywood cautionary tale—a successful businesswoman with an MBA who transformed her North Hollywood home into what federal prosecutors called a “drug-selling emporium,” ultimately becoming the supplier of the ketamine that killed beloved “Friends” actor Matthew Perry.

On Monday, the 42-year-old American-British dual national agreed to plead guilty to five federal charges in connection with Perry’s October 2023 overdose death, marking the end of a legal saga that has exposed Hollywood’s underground ketamine network and the tragic exploitation of addiction for profit.

The Making of a Drug Kingpin

Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” by investigators, operated what federal authorities called the “Sangha Stash House” in North Hollywood from at least June 2019 through March 2024, according to the Department of Justice. The residence served as a hub for manufacturing, packaging, and distributing dangerous narcotics to a clientele that allegedly included celebrities and high-end clients.

When federal agents raided her home before her March 2024 arrest, they discovered more than 80 vials of ketamine, along with thousands of pills containing methamphetamine, cocaine, and Xanax. The scale of the operation painted a picture of someone who had transformed drug dealing into a sophisticated business enterprise.

“She’s taking responsibility for her actions,” said her attorney, Mark Geragos, in a statement to the BBC, as Sangha prepared to formally enter her guilty plea in federal court in the coming weeks.

Behind the criminal enterprise was a woman who presented herself as living an extravagant lifestyle. Her social media presence depicted a world of parties, luxury travel to destinations like Japan and Mexico, and rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s elite. According to reports, she attended prestigious events including the Golden Globes and the Oscars, seamlessly blending into the celebrity scene that would later become her customer base.

Friends described how loneliness may have driven Sangha toward the party lifestyle. “She had a boyfriend who was significant and it didn’t work out around 2014,” one friend told reporters. “Friends attribute [her moving into the party world] to loneliness.”

When federal agents raided her home before her March 2024 arrest, they discovered more than 80 vials of ketamine, along with thousands of pills containing methamphetamine, cocaine, and Xanax.

This transformation from what sources described as a “studious” MBA graduate to a major drug dealer highlights the complex personal factors that can lead someone down a destructive path.

The Perry Connection

Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant to reach a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Perry’s death. The network that supplied the actor included two doctors—Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez—Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and Eric Fleming, who served as an intermediary between Sangha and Perry.

Federal prosecutors alleged that this group exploited Perry’s well-documented struggles with addiction for financial gain. The actor, who had been open about his battles with substance abuse, was found dead in his backyard jacuzzi with ketamine levels in his system that exceeded therapeutic levels.

The case revealed the extent of what one expert called the “wild west” of Hollywood’s ketamine network, where the dissociative anesthetic—legally used in medical settings for pain management and increasingly for depression treatment—was being distributed without proper medical supervision.

Sangha’s criminal activity allegedly extended beyond the Perry case. Court documents reveal she also sold ketamine to another man, Cody McLaury, who died of an overdose shortly after purchasing the drug in August 2019. As part of her plea agreement, Sangha will admit to this additional death, demonstrating a pattern of lethal consequences from her drug distribution operation.

This detail underscores the broader public health implications of unregulated ketamine distribution and the vulnerability of individuals struggling with addiction.

Legal Reckoning

Under her plea agreement, Sangha faces charges including 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. While the Justice Department initially stated she could face up to 60 years in federal prison, CNN reports indicate she now faces up to 45 years under the plea agreement terms.

The case against Sangha was part of a broader federal investigation that began after Perry’s death in October 2023. Prosecutors painted a picture of a deliberate criminal enterprise that prioritized profit over the safety and lives of vulnerable individuals struggling with addiction.

The Perry case and Sangha’s role have shed light on the intersection of celebrity culture, addiction, and illegal drug distribution in Los Angeles. The investigation revealed how easily accessible dangerous drugs can become for those with money and connections, even when such substances require medical supervision for safe use.

Ketamine, while having legitimate medical uses as an anesthetic and emerging depression treatment, becomes dangerous when used without proper medical oversight. The Drug Enforcement Administration describes it as a dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects that can distort perception and make users feel disconnected from reality.

The case serves as a stark reminder of how addiction vulnerabilities can be exploited by those willing to profit from human suffering, regardless of their own educational background or apparent success.

As Sangha prepares to formally enter her guilty plea, her story represents more than just another Hollywood drug scandal—it’s a complex narrative about choices, consequences, and the human cost of both addiction and those who profit from it.

The sentencing phase will ultimately determine how many years Sangha will spend in federal prison, bringing closure to a case that has highlighted the deadly intersection of celebrity culture, addiction vulnerability, and criminal exploitation in modern Hollywood.