Jasveen Sangha—dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” by federal prosecutors—has agreed to plead guilty to a slate of federal charges tied to the October 2023 overdose death of actor Matthew Perry. Her agreement, filed in the Central District of California, makes her the fifth and final defendant to accept responsibility, closing a sprawling supply-chain case that has moved from raids and indictments to negotiated pleas.
The Charges at a Glance
- Maintaining a drug-involved premises (1 count)
- Distribution of ketamine (3 counts)
- Distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury (1 count)
While statutory maximums across those counts can appear enormous on paper, federal sentencing hinges on guidelines, offense characteristics, acceptance of responsibility, cooperation, criminal history, and departures recommended by prosecutors. Sentencing will occur at a later hearing after a presentence report.
How Prosecutors Say the Scheme Worked
The government alleges a pipeline running from medical sources and suppliers to a tight circle of intermediaries and ultimately to Perry’s residence. In the complaint narrative and subsequent filings, Sangha is portrayed as a well-connected supplier who kept inventory at a North Hollywood location and coordinated sales through trusted go-betweens.
Investigators say Perry’s assistant administered multiple doses on the day of his death, consistent with the medical examiner’s finding of acute effects of ketamine.
Why This Plea Matters
- Closes the chain: With the final plea, prosecutors can argue they have accounted for every link—from prescribing physicians to couriers and the end-user setting.
- Sets a precedent: The case telegraphs that selling or facilitating powerful anesthetics outside clinical oversight can carry distribution resulting in death exposure—one of the stiffest drug penalties.
- Centers medical ethics: Even where patients legally access ketamine in clinical settings for depression, prosecutors drew a bright line around off-label, off-site, and cash-based sales networks.
Key People Around the Case
- Jasveen Sangha: Defendant now agreeing to plead guilty to five counts.
- Kenneth Iwamasa: Perry’s assistant; previously pleaded guilty for conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death; admitted to administering injections.
- Erik Fleming: Intermediary who allegedly sourced ketamine from Sangha for Perry.
- Doctors involved: Two physicians—identified in filings—entered pleas tied to supplying drugs used in the chain.
Evidence Threads Cited by Prosecutors
Search warrants and digital evidence (texts, messaging-app logs) allegedly show coordination around quantities, pricing, and delivery windows. Prosecutors also say Sangha instructed an associate to delete communications after Perry’s death—conduct that, while not charged as obstruction here, often appears in narratives supporting higher culpability.
What Happens Next in Federal Court
Plea hearing & colloquy: Sangha will formally enter her plea before a federal judge, acknowledging factual basis for each count. Presentence report (PSR): Probation reviews the offense conduct and history. Sentencing: The court applies the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, hears arguments, and imposes a sentence that can include prison, supervised release, fines, and forfeiture. Cooperation, if any, may be credited under a government motion.
Public-Health Context: Ketamine Outside Clinics
Ketamine is an FDA-approved anesthetic with growing use in treatment-resistant depression under strict medical supervision. Outside that framework—particularly via injection without medical oversight—the risks escalate rapidly: dissociation, respiratory depression, and interaction with other substances. This case highlights how black-market medical products can mirror street-drug danger even when the compound is a legitimate medicine in clinical settings.
Lessons for the Industry and Regulators
- Clinic compliance: Regulators may tighten auditing of infusion centers, inventory logs, and credentials.
- Platform liability: Messaging platforms and encrypted apps remain a challenge for investigators and compliance teams; expect renewed focus on lawful access and metadata trails.
- Patient safety: Physicians and mental-health providers will continue to stress that any off-protocol dosing—especially self-administered injections—is dangerous and illegal.
Bottom Line
The Sangha plea caps a high-profile prosecution and sends a consequential signal: when controlled substances slip from clinical care into gray-market distribution, prosecutors won’t hesitate to bring resulting in death counts. The legal chapter is nearing its end; the policy questions around access, addiction, and oversight will keep unfolding.
Prosecutors’ summary of the plea agreement is detailed in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California; read it here.
