A San Fernando Valley woman at the center of the drug case spurred on by the death of Matthew Perry has agreed to plead guilty, bringing an end to a heartbreaking investigation that exposed a sprawling network of illicit ketamine sales in Southern California.
Jasveen Sangha, 42, has agreed to plead guilty to five felony charges, including distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Known as the “Ketamine Queen,” she was initially charged based on the part she played in supplying the drug which ultimately killed Perry in October 2023.
Sangha, a dual citizen of the U.S. and the U.K., has been in custody since her arrest last summer. Her plea agreement outlines a potential decades-long prison sentence: up to 20 years for maintaining a drug-involved premises, 10 years for each distribution count, and 15 years for distribution resulting in death.
According to court records, Sangha worked with Erik Fleming, a 55-year-old from Hawthorne, to provide ketamine to Perry, whose struggles with addiction were no secret. In October 2023, Sangha and Fleming sold 51 vials of the drug which were then sold to Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s assistant at the time. Following the sale, Iwamasa injected Perry repeatedly with that specific ketamine, and on October 28, 2023, Perry was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home. The autopsy showed that Perry died from acute effects of ketamine, with drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine also listed as contributing factors.
The plea agreement revealed that Sangha moved quickly after learning of Perry’s death. Using Signal, an encrypted messaging app, she told Fleming to delete their communications. “Delete all our messages,” she instructed, while also changing her app settings to erase their chats automatically.
Prosecutors also tied Sangha to another fatal overdose. In 2019, she sold ketamine to Cody McLaury, who died just hours later. After his death, Sangha reportedly searched online: “can ketamine be listed as a cause of death.”
When authorities search Sangha’s North Hollywood home in 2023 they found everything one would need to jumpstart a large-scale drug trafficking business. They found nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine pills, 79 vials of ketamine, MDMA tablets, counterfeit Xanax, and cocaine. Aside from drugs, they also found a gold money-counting machine and surveillance equipment. It’s believed that Sangha had been using the home as a stash house for at least four years.
Sangha is the fifth and final defendant to plead guilty in connection with Perry’s death. Fleming, Perry’s assistant Iwamasa, and two doctors — Mark Chavez of San Diego and Salvador “Dr. P” Plasencia of Santa Monica — all admitted to roles in supplying or distributing ketamine. Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and awaits sentencing. Plasencia admitted to four counts of distribution and faces up to 40 years in prison. Fleming and Iwamasa face up to 25 and 15 years respectively.
Perry’s death struck a chord far beyond Hollywood. Best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, he had been public about his long battle with substance abuse and even published a memoir in 2022 detailing his years of addiction and recovery. In death, the revelation that his relapse was facilitated by a network of dealers, doctors, and enablers highlighted just how vulnerable addicts remain, even after periods of sobriety.
Sangha’s guilty plea ends the legal saga but leaves open deeper questions about celebrity, addiction, and accountability. Nearly two years after Perry’s death, prosecutors hope the case sends a clear message: those who supply drugs that lead to fatal overdoses will be held responsible.
Sangha is expected to formally enter her guilty plea in the coming weeks. A sentencing date has not yet been set. If the judge imposes the maximum penalties, she could spend the rest of her life in federal prison.
