‘Ketamine Queen’ Admits Guilt in Matthew Perry’s Overdose Case

Jasveen Sangha, infamously dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, including providing the ketamine that contributed to the death of Matthew Perry on October 28, 2023. Her admission of guilt comes as part of a plea deal ahead of her trial, which was scheduled to begin later this month.

Sangha accepted responsibility for five charges, making her the final defendant in Perry’s overdose case to admit guilt. The courtroom was notably attended by Perry’s mother, Suzanne Perry, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, marking their first appearance at court proceedings since the indictments were announced a year ago.

Courtroom Proceedings

Dressed in tan prison attire, Sangha stood alongside her attorney, Mark Geragos, as she confirmed her pleas of “guilty” five times in response to questions posed by U.S. District Court Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett. Prior to her pleas, she responded affirmatively to numerous procedural inquiries but hesitated when asked if she knew the drugs she provided to co-defendant Erik Fleming were intended for Perry. “There was no way I could tell 100%,” she stated, later adding uncertainty regarding the specific vials of ketamine.

Despite these comments, the plea agreement was unaffected. Sangha, a 42-year-old dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom, has been characterized by prosecutors as a significant drug dealer, often referred to in court documents as the “Ketamine Queen.”

Plea Agreement and Potential Sentencing

On August 18, Sangha signed a plea deal in which she admitted to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distributing ketamine, and one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death. In exchange for her guilty pleas, prosecutors agreed to dismiss three additional counts related to ketamine distribution and one count of distributing methamphetamine unrelated to Perry’s case.

The plea agreement follows an extensive investigation that culminated in charges against five individuals in connection with Perry’s death. A judge is set to schedule Sangha’s sentencing, where she could face a maximum of 65 years in prison. While the judge is not obligated to adhere to any terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors indicated they would recommend a sentence below the maximum.

None of the co-defendants have been sentenced as of yet. Sangha, along with Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty in July, were primary targets of the investigation. The other defendants, including Dr. Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa, and Erik Fleming, have entered guilty pleas in exchange for cooperation, which involved implicating Sangha and Plasencia.

Perry was discovered dead in his Los Angeles home by Iwamasa, his assistant. The medical examiner concluded that ketamine, a substance primarily used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death.