A Los Angeles-based drug supplier identified in court filings as the "Ketamine Queen" is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday for her role in providing doses of ketamine that federal authorities say led to the drowning death of actor Matthew Perry in 2023.
The defendant, Jasveen Sangha, 42, entered guilty pleas in September to five felony counts connected to the incident at Perry's home. Prosecutors are asking for a 15-year prison term, asserting that Sangha expanded her trafficking activities for profit despite understanding the serious harm her conduct inflicted.
"While defendant worked to expand and profit from her drug trafficking, she knew - and disregarded - the grave harm her conduct was causing," prosecutors wrote in court documents.
In opposition, Sangha's defense team has urged the court to impose a sentence of time served. In a filing, her attorneys said Sangha has accepted responsibility and has taken meaningful steps toward rehabilitation while incarcerated. They noted that Sangha, whom they described as having a history of substance abuse, has been detained since August 2024.
"She has maintained sustained and exemplary sobriety, and actively engaged in recovery-oriented and rehabilitative programming while in custody," her lawyers stated in court papers.
Medical examiners determined that Perry, who was 54 years old, died from the acute effects of ketamine combined with other factors that led him to lose consciousness and drown in a hot tub at his Los Angeles residence. Ketamine is a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties. The drug can be prescribed for conditions such as depression and anxiety, but it also is used illegally as a recreational party drug.
Sangha, who holds dual United States and British citizenship, admitted in court that she supplied 51 vials of ketamine to an intermediary, identified as Erik Fleming. Fleming subsequently sold those doses to Matthew Perry through his live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Sangha acknowledged that she was aware the vials she provided were destined for Perry.
Prosecutors allege that it was Iwamasa who later administered at least three injections of ketamine from the vials supplied by Sangha, resulting in Perry's death. Both Fleming and Iwamasa have entered guilty pleas in the case and are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
The sentencing hearing will decide between the substantially different recommendations from federal prosecutors and the defense. Prosecutors emphasize the defendant's role in an expanding distribution chain and the resulting lethal outcome. The defense underscores Sangha's acceptance of responsibility and reported rehabilitation efforts while in custody.
As the court prepares to issue its sentence, other scheduled sentencing dates for co-defendants remain pending, leaving the broader legal resolution of the case incomplete until those proceedings conclude.