U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, of the Central District of California, sentenced Jasveen Sangha, known as the Ketamine Queen, to 15 years in federal prison in Los Angeles. Sangha was convicted of distributing the dose of ketamine associated with the death of actor Matthew Perry on October 28, 2023. The sentence, handed down on April 8, concluded legal proceedings regarding the Sangha’s role in the illegal narcotics network.
Sentence details and Sangha’s role
Jasveen Sangha operated from a North Hollywood residence described in court as a “drug distribution center.” Prosecutors presented evidence that Sangha sold 50 glass vials of ketamine to Perry’s personal assistant weeks before his death. The actor died from the acute effects of ketamine in his backyard jacuzzi.
Sangha’s sentence is the highest among the five defendants charged in the case. The ring included two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, who diverted the substance from the legal market. Other participants included Perry’s personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who administered the final dose, and broker Erik Fleming. These individuals provided the actor with propofol in exchange for financial compensation.
Ketamine and its fatal risks
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used in medicine for sedation and, more recently, for treatment-resistant depression under clinical supervision. Its illegal recreational use can cause hallucinations, loss of motor control, and fatal respiratory failure.
In Perry’s case, the ketamine levels detected in his blood were consistent with those used for general anesthesia. The absence of medical supervision during the administration at his residence resulted in loss of consciousness. He subsequently died from asphyxia due to drowning.
The legacy of Chandler Bing
Matthew Perry achieved worldwide fame through the television series “Friends,” which aired from 1994 to 2004. During this period, his work received industry recognition with five Emmy Award nominations. In 2002, he was a candidate for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of the charismatic and sarcastic Chandler Bing.
In his 2022 memoir, Perry reflected on his long and costly path toward sobriety and spoke openly about what gave his life meaning beyond his career. ‘I have been to hell and back,’ he wrote, showing the weight of lived experience. For Perry, his true legacy was not his work on screen, but his commitment to helping others: “The best thing about me is that if someone comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I will always say yes.” Before his final relapse, he had spent $9 million on rehabilitation, a figure that reflects not excess, but the depth of his struggle.
The cultural phenomenon of Friends
The series Friends followed the lives of six friends in New York City (Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Ross Geller, and Chandler Bing) and defined the humor of a generation during its ten-season run. The phenomenon was so significant that the series finale attracted 52 million viewers in the United States alone. The production influenced fashion, language, and social habits for global youth in the late nineties.
The lead actors (Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Perry himself) became the highest-paid actors on television, earning $1 million per episode during the final seasons. The series maintains global relevance today through digital streaming platforms. Following his death in 2023, Perry’s absence marked the end of an era for American television nostalgia.