A woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a California federal court to providing the ketamine that killed “Friends” actor Matthew Perry in 2023.
A drug dealer dubbed the “ketamine queen,” Jasveen Sangha, 42, accepted a plea deal that detailed how she sold drugs from her North Hollywood apartment for years before Perry’s death. Sangha also admitted to providing four vials of ketamine to a man in 2019 — hours before he fatally overdosed in his home, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In October 2023, Perry, 54, was found dead in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. His death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine. While the actor was reportedly undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for anxiety and depression, he was illegally procuring the drug outside of medical settings.
READ: Doctor Who Called Matthew Perry a ‘Moron’ Before Supplying Him Ketamine Pleads Guilty
An investigation determined that Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 60, injected him with the fatal dose of ketamine which came from Sangha.
Iwamasa allegedly told authorities that Perry met Salvador Plasencia, 43, an urgent care doctor, weeks before his death. Iwamasa said Perry paid Plasencia as much as $55,000 for ketamine in the month leading up to his death.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Perry started purchasing intravenous ketamine in late September 2023. A month later, Perry reportedly reached out to Erik Fleming, 55, an ex-producer and drug counseling worker.
Sangha’s plea deal stated that she worked with Fleming to provide Perry with ketamine. The month of Perry’s death, the pair reportedly sold 51 vials to Iwamasa. Iwamasa injected Perry with three vials of ketamine on the day he died, according to the plea deal.
“Please call … Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry] — only his Assistant. So the Assistant was the enabler. Also they are doing a 3 month tox screening … Does K stay in your system or is it immediately flushed out[?],” Sangha wrote to Fleming three days after Perry’s death, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Fleming, Iwamasa, and Plasencia, all pleaded guilty to having involvement in Perry’s death. A second doctor, Dr. Mark Chavez, also admitted to supplying Perry with ketamine. All four defendants are awaiting sentencing.
Sangha pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises, distribution of ketamine, and distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. She faces up to 65 years when she is sentenced in December.
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[Feature Photo: Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File]
