'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha sentenced to 15 years in Matthew Perry death

Jasveen Sangha, the woman who distributed ketamine, resulting in "Friends" star Matthew Perry's 2023 death, has received her sentence in the criminal case.

U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Garnett sentenced Sangha, described by prosecutors as "the Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood, to 15 years in prison during a hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on April 8.

The verdict matches the recommended sentence federal prosecutors had argued for, which is harsher than the penalties received by any of Sangha's four co-defendants in the case.

"To cultivate her business, [Sangha] marketed herself as an exclusive dealer who catered to high-profile Hollywood clientele," prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. "While [Sangha] worked to expand and profit from her drug trafficking, she knew – and disregarded – the grave harm her conduct was causing."

USA TODAY has reached out to attorneys for Sangha and U.S. prosecutors for comment.

Perry, best known for his role as the wisecracking Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom, was found dead in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home in October 2023, following a decadeslong battle with substance abuse. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the 54-year-old's death sparked a criminal investigation that led to several arrests, including Sangha.

The ruling comes seven months after Sangha pleaded guilty to five felony charges in Perry's overdose death: one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

She originally faced up to 65 years in prison, prosecutors previously said. There is a statutory maximum prison sentence of 20 years for the charge related to the drug-involved premises, up to 10 years for each of the three ketamine distribution counts and a maximum of 15 years for distributing ketamine that resulted in Perry's death.

Prosecutors say that in October 2023, Sangha worked with Erik Fleming − described as Perry's acquaintance − to sell 51 vials of ketamine to the actor's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa injected Perry with the short-acting anesthetic. Fleming and Iwamasa previously reached plea deals with prosecutors.

All five defendants who faced charges over Perry's death have pleaded guilty: Sangha, Fleming, Iwamasa, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez.

A December 2023 autopsy report revealed that Perry's death was an accident, with the cause being "the acute effects of ketamine." Contributing factors were drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine.

Matthew Perry's parents appear at Jasveen Sangha's sentencing hearing

Perry's parents, mother Suzanne Perry and stepfather Keith Morrison, were in attendance at Sangha's sentencing hearing, as seen in photos from the legal proceeding.

In one photo, Perry's mom and the "Dateline" correspondent can be seen walking hand in hand as they arrive at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles.

Suzanne Perry reflected on Perry's death and struggles with substance abuse in an October 2024 interview on the "Today" show, which coincided with the one-year anniversary of her son's death.

"It hits me so hard that he's not there," Suzanne Perry said. "I'm a very lucky woman. But there was one glitch, there was one problem that I couldn't ‒ I couldn't conquer it, I couldn't help him."

Is Jasveen Sangha in jail?

Yes, Sangha has been incarcerated since August 2024.

Before her sentencing, defense attorneys had urged the judge to limit her sentence to time already served.

'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha's sentencing comes after plea reversal

Sangha previously pleaded not guilty to all charges against her, with attorney Mark Geragos maintaining her innocence in a Peacock documentary special that was released last February.

"My client never met Matthew Perry, had nothing to do with Matthew Perry, and all the supposed rumors otherwise are just that: urban legend," Geragos said in an interview that was included in the special. "This theory that this so-called fatal dose is linked to my client is absolute garbage."

However, according to Sangha's September plea agreement, she had been storing, packaging and distributing drugs such as methamphetamine and ketamine at her home since June 2019.

Sangha, in her plea agreement, also admitted to selling ketamine that led to the overdose death of Los Angeles resident Cody McLaury in 2019, four years before Perry's death. In an August 2024 press release, prosecutors pointed to McLaury's death as evidence that Sangha was "aware of the danger of ketamine."

As part of her guilty plea, she will be required to pay "full restitution to the victims," Perry and McLaury.

Matthew Perry's stepmother blames Jasveen Sangha for actor's death in emotional statement

The day before Sangha's sentencing, prosecutors filed a victim impact statement on behalf of Perry's stepmother, Debbie Perry.

"The pain you’ve caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible. There is no joy to be found, no light in the window," Debbie Perry, who is married to Perry's father, John Bennett Perry, wrote. "They won't be back. That thought comes through our day every day."

She went on to say that there is "no escape" from these feelings and criticized Sangha for her involvement in Perry's death.

"You caused this," Debbie Perry said. "You who has talent for business, enough to make money, chose the one way that hurts people. How sad for you. How will you ever find joy – have you ever found joy? How sad for us all. We miss him."

Debbie Perry ended her letter, styled like a poem, by asking the court to hand out a maximum prison sentence so that Sangha "won't be able to hurt other families like ours."

If you or someone you know needs help battling a substance abuse addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). 

Expert says Sangha's sentencing is 'not surprising'

Oleg Nekritin, a defense attorney based in Newark, New Jersey, said in a statement to USA TODAY that the 15-year sentencing was "not surprising."

"Ms. Sangha’s defense team argued that her sentence should be similar to the previously sentenced defendants in this case. However, factors like cooperation may have led the court to depart from the sentencing guidelines and give more lenient sentences to the other defendants," Nekritin said.

Nekritin listed the publicity of the case, sentencing guidelines and the "apparent lack of remorse" by Sangh after Perry's death as factors in her sentencing.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Anthony Robledo and Anika Reed, USA TODAY; Reuters

This story was updated to add new information.