AA suspected drug dealer from the San Fernando Valley, whom prosecutors called the “Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood, was one of two people arrested Thursday in connection with the death of Friends with Matthew Perry as the star.
Jasveen Sangha, 41, is one of five defendants in connection with Perry’s death from a ketamine overdose last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said Thursday. Also among the defendants are two doctors and Perry’s personal assistant. Prosecutors said Sangha and one of the doctors, 42-year-old Salvador Plasencia, were arrested Thursday and charged with distributing ketamine to Perry in the final weeks of his life.
Perry, 54, was found facedown in his hot tub on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office later determined that Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine.”
Authorities said they also linked Sangha to a previous fatal overdose. Here’s everything you need to know about Sangha.
What accusations are being made against her?
An indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Sangha’s distribution of ketamine caused Perry’s death on Oct. 24, 2023. Sangha, who has dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, is charged with nine counts related to Perry’s death, including: conspiracy to distribute ketamine, operating a drug-related property, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. She was arraigned in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. If found guilty on all counts, she could face a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said.
The judge denied her request for bail on Thursday and she remains in custody. Her next hearing is scheduled for October 15.
Why did the authorities name her the “Ketamine Queen”?
Prosecutors accuse Sangha of distributing ketamine and other illegal drugs from her North Hollywood “stash” since at least 2019. U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada said during a press conference Thursday that her home was a “drug trafficking hub.” He added that a search of her home found more than 80 vials of ketamine, as well as drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax.
Prosecutors accused Sangha of being “aware of the dangers of ketamine.” In August 2019, prosecutors said, she allegedly sold ketamine to a man named Cody McLaury just hours before he died of an overdose. After a relative of McLaury texted Sangha that her ketamine had killed McLaury, Sangha searched on Google: “Can ketamine be listed as a cause of death(?)”
One of the defendants who pleaded guilty on August 8 in connection with Perry’s death, Erik Fleming, is quoted in the indictment as saying of Sangha: “She only deals with high-end people and celebrities.” Sangha had previously shared photos of her extravagant lifestyle on social media, from parties to vacations in Japan and Mexico, the BBC reported.
