Who Is the Ketamine Queen? The Indian-Origin Drug Dealer Behind Matthew Perry's Death

Jasveen Sangha, the Indian-origin drug dealer known as the Ketamine Queen, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on April 8. A Los Angeles court found her guilty of supplying the ketamine that killed Matthew Perry. She is the third of five defendants sentenced in the case, with two more hearings still to come.

Who Is the Ketamine Queen?

Born in London and raised in Calabasas, California, Jasveen Sangha graduated from UC Irvine and presented herself online as an art curator. Behind that image, she was running a drug trafficking operation from her North Hollywood home since at least 2019.

How Did Jasveen Sangha Build Her Drug Network?

Sangha ran a high-volume drug trafficking operation from her North Hollywood home since at least 2019. She sold ketamine and methamphetamine, marketing herself as a dealer to A-list clientele. Prosecutors told the court she dealt “not because of financial deprivation, but for greed, glamour and access.”

What Was Her Direct Link to Matthew Perry?

Sangha and co-defendant Erik Fleming supplied Perry with 51 vials of ketamine in his final month. His live-in assistant injected him at least three times on the day he died. The LA Medical Examiner listed acute ketamine effects and drowning as causes of death.

Was Perry Her Only Victim?

No. Jasveen Sangha sold four vials of ketamine to personal trainer Cody McLaury in 2019, who died hours later. Prosecutors stated she kept dealing even after learning her drugs had killed him. Days before his death, Perry made a $6,000 cash purchase from Sangha that included the lethal dose, stated CBC News.

What Did the Court Hear?

Sangha told the court her choices were "horrible decisions" that "shattered people's lives." Perry's stepfather Keith Morrison told her directly: "I feel bad for you. I don't hate you. The law is the law."

How Does Her Sentence Compare to the Others?

Two co-defendants were sentenced before Sangha. Dr. Mark Chavez received eight months of home confinement and Dr. Salvador Plasencia got 30 months. Jasveen Sangha faced a maximum of 65 years but received 15 years plus three years of supervised release. Iwamasa and Fleming are scheduled for sentencing on April 22 and June 10 respectively.

What Does This Verdict Signal Going Forward?

The Matthew Perry case is now a federal template for prosecuting entire drug supply chains, from street-level dealers like the Indian-origin Ketamine Queen to licensed doctors who feed addiction. Then-US Attorney E. Martin Estrada warned that dealers are "on full notice" that selling drugs causing death will be prosecuted regardless of professional standing.

(With inputs from yMedia)