FRIENDS star Matthew Perry’s sudden demise left his fans, family, and friends shocked. Now, Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” was sentenced on Wednesday to 15 years in prison as she was accused of supplying the drug to the actor, whose overdose led to his death. The verdict marks a major development in the high-profile case.
Jasveen Sangha sentenced to 15 years in jail in Matthew Perry death case
A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced Jasveen Sangha, the notorious drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen,” to 15 years in prison. She had pleaded guilty to selling actor Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023. “You`re going to have to show some epic resilience,” Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said to Jasveen Sangha, as per AP.
Sangha admitted to playing a role in Perry`s death and her broader drug-dealing business. The judge gave the 42-year-old a sentence that will almost certainly be more than all four of her co-defendants combined.
The hearing on Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom was, in many ways, the pinnacle of the two-and-a-half-year investigation and prosecution that followed the overdose death of the 54-year-old actor. Just before she was sentenced, Sangha told the judge she wears her shame “like a jacket.” She added, “These were not mistakes. They were horrible decisions,” which “shattered people`s lives and the lives of their family and friends.”
Prosecutors secured the exact sentence they asked for after casting Sangha as a “Ketamine Queen” who had an elaborate drug operation catering to high-end clients to fund a jet-setting lifestyle.
About Matthew Perry’s death
Perry was found dead in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death, with drowning as a secondary cause. Mark Geragos, Sangha`s attorney, said “pernicious” addiction was truly responsible for Perry`s death, not his client.
“There was nobody who was going to stop Mr Perry from doing what he was going to do,” Geragos said. In September, Sangha became the last of five co-defendants to plead guilty.
The American actor, who was raised in Canada, was known globally as Chandler Bing on the hit comedy series FRIENDS, which also starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. Matthew also appeared in shows like Ally McBeal, The West Wing, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
(With inputs from agencies)
