'Ketamine Queen' pleads guilty in Matthew Perry's death case
What's the story
Jasveen Sangha, a 42-year-old dual citizen of the US and UK, has agreed to a plea deal in connection with the October 2023 overdose death of actor Matthew Perry. Dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" by federal prosecutors, she is the fifth and final defendant to plead guilty in this case. The deal was announced by federal prosecutors on Monday.
Legal proceedings
Sangha has been in federal custody since August 2024
Sangha has been in federal custody since August 2024. She is expected to formally plead guilty to 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. This plea deal could save her from a scheduled trial and potentially lead to a sentence of up to 45 years in federal prison.
Key involvement
Sangha allegedly supplied drugs to Perry's assistant
Sangha allegedly supplied drugs to Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry, who then gave them to Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. On October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of Sangha's ketamine, which led to his death. After learning about Perry's death from news reports, Sangha reportedly called Fleming on Signal to discuss how to distance themselves from it.
Case details
Sangha also admitted to possessing with intent to distribute drugs
Sangha, who operated a stash house in North Hollywood, also admitted to possessing with intent to distribute various drugs. In her plea deal, she confessed to selling four vials of ketamine to another victim, Cody McLaury, in August 2019. McLaury died hours later from a drug overdose. Other defendants who have pleaded guilty include Iwamasa and Fleming, as well as doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia.