‘Ketamine Queen' Accused of Selling Fatal Dose to Matthew Perry Agrees to Plead Guilty
Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the 'Friends' star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, avoiding a trial that had been planned for September.
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10 hours ago
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Learn about the 5 people charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death
Learn about the 5 people charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death LOS ANGELES (AP) — One year ago, federal authorities announced that five people had been charged in connection with the ketamine overdose death of Matthew Perry. All five have now agreed to plead guilty, including the personal assistant of the 'Friends' star, an old acquaintance and two doctors. On Monday, Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors say was a dealer known as the 'Ketamine Queen,' became the fifth and final defendant to reach a deal and avoid trial. Here is a look at each of the defendants. Jasveen Sangha Sangha admitted in her plea agreement that she sold Perry the lethal dose of ketamine in the days before his death on Oct. 23, 2023. A 42-year-old who was born in Britain, raised in the United States and has dual citizenship, Sangha's social media accounts before her indictment last year showed a jet-setting lifestyle, with photos of herself in posh spaces alongside rich-and-famous faces in Spain, Japan and Dubai along with her dual homes of London and Los Angeles. Prosecutors say that lifestyle was funded by a drug business she ran for at least five years from her apartment in LA's San Fernando Valley. They say she presented herself as 'a celebrity drug dealer with high quality goods" and missed no opportunity to promote the idea that she was known to customers and others as the 'Ketamine Queen.' Her lawyers have derided the title as a 'media-friendly' moniker. Sangha went to high school in Calabasas, California — perhaps best known as home to the Kardashians — and went to college at the University of California, Irvine, graduating in 2005 and going on to work at Merrill Lynch. She later got an MBA from the Hult International Business School in London. She was connected to Perry through his acquaintance and her co-defendant, Erik Fleming. In a raid of her apartment in March 2024, authorities said they found large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and ketamine. She was arrested and released on bond. In August 2024, she was indicted again with charges that tied her to Perry's death, and has been held without bail ever since. CHARGES: Three counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. SENTENCING: A judge will set her sentencing in the coming months after she appears in court to officially change her plea. She could get up to 45 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: Sangha's lawyer Mark Geragos says 'She's taking responsibility for her actions.' Kenneth Iwamasa Iwamasa, Perry's live-in personal assistant, was intimately involved in the actor's illegal ketamine use, acting as his drug messenger and personally giving injections, according to his plea agreement. It was the 60-year-old Iwamasa who found Perry dead in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home on a day when he'd given him several injections. He would become the first to reach a deal with prosecutors as they sought to use him as an essential witness against other defendants. Iwamasa said he worked with co-defendants to get ketamine on Perry's behalf, including Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who taught him how to give Perry the injections. 'Found the sweet spot but trying different places led to running out,' Iwamasa told Plasencia in one text message. Iwamasa said in his plea deal that he injected Perry six to eight times per day in the last few days of his life. CHARGE: One count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. SENTENCING: He's scheduled to be sentenced November 19 and could get up to 15 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: Iwamasa's attorneys have not responded to requests for comment. Dr. Salvador Plasencia 'I wonder how much this moron will pay?' That was a text message Plasencia sent to a fellow doctor when he learned Perry wanted to be illegally provided with ketamine, according to a plea agreement where the doctor admitted to selling 20 vials of the drug to the actor in the weeks before his death. Plasencia, a 43-year-old Los Angeles-area doctor known to patients as 'Dr. P,' was one of the two main targets of the prosecution and had been headed for a joint trial with Sangha when he reached the plea agreement in June. According to court records, Perry was connected to Plasencia through another patient. Perry had been getting ketamine legally from his regular doctor as treatment for depression, an off-label but increasingly common use of the surgical anesthetic. But the actor wanted more. Plasencia admitted to personally injecting Perry with some of the initial vials he provided, and left more for Iwamasa to inject, despite the fact that Perry froze up and his blood pressure spiked, after one dose. Plasencia graduated from UCLA's medical school in 2010 and had not been subject to any medical disciplinary actions before the Perry case. He has been free on bond since his indictment. His lawyers said he is caregiver for a toddler child. Plasencia even got to keep practicing medicine after his indictment, but had to inform patients of the charges against him and couldn't prescribe dangerous drugs. He now intends to voluntarily surrender his license to practice, according to his lawyers. CHARGES: Four counts of distribution of ketamine. SENTENCING: He's scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 3 and could get up to 40 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: His lawyers say he's 'profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry.' Erik Fleming Fleming, 55, was an acquaintance of Perry's who learned through a mutual friend that the actor was seeking ketamine, according to his plea agreement. He told Iwamasa in text messages that he had a source known as the 'Ketamine Queen' whose product was 'amazing,' saying she only deals with 'high end and celebs.' In all, prosecutors say, Fleming delivered 50 vials of Sangha's ketamine for Perry's use, including 25 sold for a total of $6,000 to the actor four days before his death. CHARGE: One count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. SENTENCING: He is scheduled to be sentenced November 12 and could get up to 25 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: Fleming's lawyers have declined comment. Dr. Mark Chavez Chavez, a San Diego doctor who ran a ketamine clinic, was the source of the doses that Plasencia sold to Perry, according to their plea agreements. Chavez admitted to obtaining the ketamine from a wholesale distributor on false pretenses. Chavez, 55, graduated from UCLA's medical school in 2004. He has surrendered his medical license. CHARGE: One count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. SENTENCING: He is scheduled to become the first defendant sentenced, on Sept. 17. He could get 10 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: His lawyer says he's 'incredibly remorseful,' has accepted responsibility and has been 'trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong.' ___ Former Associated Press journalist Kaitlyn Huamani contributed reporting. ___ A version of this story first ran on Aug. 15, 2024. Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Who Is Jasveen Sangha? Everything to Know about the So-Called Ketamine Queen Involved in Matthew Perry's Death
Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the 'Ketamine Queen,' agreed to plead guilty to multiple charges in connection with Matthew Perry's death NEED TO KNOW Jasveen Sangha was dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" by federal prosecutors Sangha was arrested in August 2024 for distributing the ketamine that killed Matthew Perry in October 2023 In August 2025, Sangha agreed to plead guilty in connection to Perry's death Jasveen Sangha was dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" by federal prosecutors and was accused of distributing the ketamine that killed Matthew Perry in October 2023. Nearly two years after Perry's tragic death, Sangha agreed to a plea deal in connection with Perry's death. In August 2025, federal prosecutors announced that Sangha would plead guilty to distribution of ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises and distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Sangha was one of five defendants charged in connection with the Friends actor's death. She was the fifth and final defendant to have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty. Perry was found face down in his jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2023. An autopsy later revealed that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, in addition to other factors of drowning, coronary artery disease and effects from buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. He was 54 years old. Here's everything to know about Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the "Ketamine Queen," and her connection to Matthew Perry's death. Who is Jasveen Sangha? Sangha is a former drug dealer who was given the nickname the "Ketamine Queen" by federal prosecutors. She is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the U.K., and has been in federal custody since her arrest in August 2024. Prior to her detention, Sangha's social media pages described herself as a curator of art and events, according to The New York Times. Sangha posted photos of her traveling the world and spending time with various celebrities — including Charlie Sheen and DJ Khaled. After she was arrested, prosecutors alleged in a federal indictment reviewed by PEOPLE that Sangha operated a stash house in North Hollywood, where they claim she would "store, package, and distribute narcotics." Sangha was subsequently charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. Four of those charges were seemingly dropped in her August 2025 plea deal. How is she connected to Matthew Perry? Prosecutors alleged that Sangha distributed drugs to Erik Fleming, who is an acquaintance of Perry's, who in turn distributed them to Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Fleming was reportedly an intermediary between Sangha and Iwamasa. Both Fleming and Iwamasa have pleaded guilty to related charges and could face 15 and 25 years in federal prison. The Justice Department claimed that Fleming obtained 50 vials from Sangha and then distributed them to Perry's assistant, who admitted to 'repeatedly' injecting the actor, per an indictment. The documents stated that Sangha had first allowed Fleming to take a sample for Perry to try. On Oct. 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of Sangha's ketamine, which caused Perry's death, per the plea agreement cited by prosecutors. 'It's unmarked but it's amazing – he take one and try it and I have more if he likes,' she allegedly messaged Fleming. Fleming then sent a screenshot of the message to Iwamasa and allegedly touted Sangha's reputation, according to the indictment. '[J]ust got this from my person,' Fleming wrote. 'She only deal[s] with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she'd lose her business.' After Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023, Sangha allegedly texted Fleming, 'Delete all our messages.' The Justice Department alleged that Perry's death is not the first ketamine-related death linked to Sangha. In 2019, prosecutors allege in their press release, that she sold ketamine to a man who overdosed hours later. When a family member of the man informed Sangha, she allegedly searched, 'can ketamine be listed as a cause of death.' According to the Justice Department, the Los Angeles Police Department searched Sangha's residence and allegedly found about 79 vials of ketamine, 1.4 kilograms of pills containing methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, cocaine and prescription drugs. What did Jasveen Sangha plead guilty to? When Sangha was arrested in August 2024, she initially pleaded not guilty and was denied bond. However, one year later, Sangha changed her stance and agreed to plead guilty in a future official guilty plea to avoid her trial scheduled for September 2025. In August 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release that Sangha will 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. She could face decades in prison. In the Aug. 14 plea agreement, she signed, "I am pleading guilty because I am guilty of the charges," per The New York Times. In addition to her involvement in Perry's death, Sangha also admitted to selling ketamine to a separate victim, Cody McLaury, who died after a drug overdose in 2019. Sangha is the fifth and last defendant to have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty in connection with Perry's overdose death. The four other defendants include Iwamasa and Fleming, as well as doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia. Prosecutors alleged that Dr. Plasencia purchased ketamine from Dr. Chavez and in turn sold it to Iwamasa. Meanwhile, Chavez agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. United States Attorney Martin Estrada said at a press conference announcing the charges that the defendants took advantage of Perry, who has long struggled with addiction. 'These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being,' Estrada said in a statement. 'Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people's lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug-dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Who is ketamine queen Jasveen Sangha? What is ketamine and why do people take ketamine?
The ketamine queen is pleading guilty to selling the fatal drug that killed "Friends" star Matthew Perry. The 54-year old actor, famous for his role as Chandler Bing on "Friends" was found floating face down in the his pool on Oct. 28, 2023. His cause of death was the result of "acute effects of ketamine" and subsequent drowning, according to the autopsy report. Perry suffered a decades-long battled with mental illness and alcohol and drug addictions through his own admission. Here's what to know. What is ketamine? Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that also has hallucinogenic effects. It is used medically for induction and maintenance of anesthesia and it is also used as a treatment for depression and pain management. The drug can distort perceptions of sight and sound, making the user disconnected or detached from their pain or environment. It is often abused for theses same qualities, in that it can also induce a state of calm, immobility and amnesia while under the influence. Ketamine comes in a clear liquid that can be injected or mixed into drinks. It also comes in a white or off-white powder form that can be snorted or smoked. Common street names for ketamine are cat tranquilizer, cat valium, jet K, kit kat, purple, Special K, super acid, super K, and vitamin K. What is ketamine used for? Ketamine is a very strong anesthetic used to prevent pain during surgery or other medical procedures. According to sources, ketamine is also marketed for the management of any number of different psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and chronic pain among others. Who is the 'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha? Jasveen Sangha, 42, of North Hollywood is reportedly known as the Ketamine Queen, and has been in custody since Aug. 2024. She came into public view due to her connection to Perry's death in 2023, albeit her illiegal activities were also linked to the overdose death of another man, Cody McLaury in 2019. Prosecutors accused Sangha of working with Perry's acquaintance, Erik Fleming, and selling 51 vials of ketamine to Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, which injected Perry with the ketamine drug, according to news reports. Fleming and Iwamasa previously reached plea deals with the prosecutors and now, as of Aug. 18, so has Sangha. Sangha has entered a plea deal in which she is pleading guilty to five charges: 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. She will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the drug-involved premises count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine distribution count, and up to 15 years in federal prison for the count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist who covers trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic region. This article originally appeared on Who is ketamine queen Jasveen Sangha? Why do people take ketamine? Solve the daily Crossword
