‘Ketamine Queen’ pleads guilty in Matthew Perry’s drug death

A significant development has emerged in the tragic death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry, as the woman known as the "Ketamine Queen," Jasveen Sangha, has entered a guilty plea. This move in a Los Angeles federal court marks a crucial step in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the actor's passing.

Sangha, 42, a dual US-British citizen, admitted to operating her North Hollywood home as a clandestine "stash house" for illegal narcotics. Her plea encompasses five felony counts directly stemming from Perry's overdose in 2023. These charges include maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of illegal ketamine distribution, and critically, one count for distributing ketamine that led to a death.

The court heard that Sangha supplied 51 vials of ketamine from her operation to Erik Fleming, 55, who acted as an intermediary dealer. These doses were then sold to Matthew Perry via his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 60. Under questioning, Sangha acknowledged her awareness that some of the illicit substances were destined for the actor. Prosecutors further indicated it was Iwamasa who allegedly injected Perry with at least three ketamine shots from Sangha's supply, resulting in his death.

Matthew Perry, who was 54, died on October 28, 2023. Medical examiners concluded that acute ketamine effects caused him to lose consciousness, leading to his drowning in a hot tub. The beloved actor had openly shared his long struggle with substance abuse, including addiction to prescription painkillers and alcohol, which he extensively detailed in his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," published a year prior to his demise.

Sangha is the final defendant among five individuals implicated in the case to plead guilty, thereby bypassing a trial. The other co-defendants—Fleming, Iwamasa, and two physicians, Mark Chavez, 55, and Salvador Plasencia, 43, who also furnished ketamine to Perry—have likewise pleaded guilty to federal drug offenses and await sentencing. Sangha's sentencing is scheduled for December 10, where she faces a potential prison term of up to 65 years. Her legal counsel stated she takes responsibility for her actions and "feels terrible" about the outcome.