Matthew Perry Case Ends With 15 Years for the 'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha

On Wednesday, the woman infamously known as the 'Ketamine Queen' was sentenced to 15 years behind bars by a federal judge.

Jasveen Sangha had previously confessed to her role in Matthew Perry's 2023 passing, admitting she was responsible for selling the actor the very dose that took his life.

A Steep Penalty for the Notorious Dealer

Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett turned the defendant's own claims of self-growth against her, telling Jasveen Sangha she would need 'epic resilience' to face her time in prison. The remark served as a sharp retort during the sentencing, directly mirroring the language Sangha had used earlier when describing her personal progress.

The Judge handed the 42-year-old a 15-year term that likely outweighs the combined jail time of all four other suspects in the case. This heavy sentence followed Sangha's own admission regarding her part in Perry's passing and her extensive history of running a narcotics operation.

The sentencing marks a significant milestone as Sangha becomes the third of five defendants to be jailed following the actor's fatal 2023 overdose. By admitting her guilt, she bypassed the trial originally set for September and became the latest person to face justice for the tragedy that unfolded in October 2023.

Family Members Describe a Grinding Sorrow

Wednesday's proceedings in Los Angeles served as the focal point of a massive investigation into the death of the 54-year-old star. The case followed a years-long effort to seek justice for the actor, whose portrayal of Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends cemented his status as a global television icon during the 1990s and 2000s.

Addressing the court, Perry's stepfather and Dateline journalist Keith Morrison spoke of the 'daily, grinding sadness and sorrow' felt by himself and Perry's mother, Suzanne. He described the actor as possessing a unique spark, unlike anyone else he had ever known. Morrison lamented the life cut short, telling the judge that his stepson deserved the chance to have lived through several more chapters of his career.

Before hearing her fate, Sangha admitted to the court that she carries her shame 'like a jacket'. She acknowledged that her actions went far beyond simple errors, describing them instead as 'horrible decisions' that destroyed the lives of many individuals along with their loved ones.

Debating Responsibility and the Queen Moniker

The judge granted the specific term requested by prosecutors after they portrayed Sangha as a high-stakes dealer who ran a sophisticated narcotics business. The court heard how she targeted wealthy individuals to fund a luxurious, global lifestyle through her work as the so-called 'Ketamine Queen'.

Defence counsel suggested that the months Sangha has spent in custody since her August 2024 arrest should serve as ample punishment. They urged the judge to consider her lack of a criminal record and her cooperative behaviour while in custody as evidence that a lighter sentence was warranted.

In October 2023, Perry was discovered lifeless in the hot tub at his Los Angeles residence. A coroner later determined that the main cause of his passing was ketamine—a substance usually reserved for surgical anaesthesia—with drowning listed as an additional factor.

Mark Geragos, representing Sangha, argued that a 'pernicious' addiction was the real culprit behind the actor's passing rather than his client. He told the court that Perry was determined to follow his own path, claiming no one could have prevented him from making those choices.

Geragos targeted the 'Ketamine Queen' label used by the prosecution, attributing the nickname to the US attorney who first brought the charges. He dismissed it as a tactical invention, telling the court it was never her actual name but rather a 'very clever' tag designed to attract press coverage to the trial.

The Paper Trail of a Fatal Transaction

While Perry was receiving the drug legally from his own doctor to treat depression, he eventually began searching for larger quantities. This hunt first brought him to Dr Salvador Plasencia, who has since been jailed for two and a half years for his role in the illicit sales. Ultimately, just days before he died, the actor's search led him to Sangha for a $6,000 (£4478.79) cash deal that included the very dose that claimed his life.

A second doctor, who confessed to supplying the ketamine that Plasencia later sold to the actor, received a sentence of eight months under house arrest. Meanwhile, Perry's personal assistant and a close friend have both admitted to serving as intermediaries for the drug deals and are currently waiting to hear their own punishments from the court.