The “Ketamine Queen” who flooded Hollywood with deadly drugs finally faces 15 years behind bars, delivering long-overdue justice in Matthew Perry’s tragic overdose.
Story Highlights
- Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on April 8, 2026, for her role in supplying ketamine that killed Matthew Perry.
- Sangha ran a high-volume trafficking operation from her North Hollywood home, linked to at least two overdose deaths including Perry in 2023 and Cody McLaury in 2019.
- Federal prosecutors secured the maximum sentence after Sangha pleaded guilty to five charges, avoiding a trial and highlighting accountability for drug dealers preying on celebrities.
- This case underscores failures in addressing the drug crisis ravaging communities, where elites profit while everyday Americans suffer from addiction and loss.
Sangha’s Drug Empire Exposed
Jasveen Sangha, a 42-year-old dual U.S.-U.K. citizen, operated a years-long ketamine trafficking network from her North Hollywood residence. Federal authorities uncovered her high-volume distribution to clients, including celebrities battling addiction like Matthew Perry. In October 2023, Sangha and co-conspirator Erik Fleming sold 51 vials of ketamine to Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa administered multiple injections, leading to Perry’s fatal overdose on October 28. This hierarchical operation funded Sangha’s lavish lifestyle, evading scrutiny until Perry’s death triggered a federal probe. Americans on both sides of the aisle see such unchecked criminal enterprises as symptoms of a government more focused on elite interests than public safety.
Plea Deal and Sentencing Details
Sangha entered federal custody in August 2024. By August or September 2025, she pleaded guilty to five federal charges: distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and three counts of ketamine distribution. Prosecutors dropped unrelated methamphetamine and additional ketamine charges. U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett imposed the full 180-month sentence on April 8, 2026, matching the U.S. Attorney’s Office recommendation for the Central District of California. The Department of Justice emphasized Sangha’s “long-running drug dealing activities” caused at least two deaths, positioning her operation as a major public health threat. She stands as the third of five defendants sentenced after pleas.
Broader Victims and Network Connections
Sangha’s crimes extend beyond Perry. Hours before Cody McLaury’s 2019 overdose death, she sold him ketamine, admitting the connection in her plea. While unrelated to Perry, this pattern reveals a reckless enterprise indifferent to human cost. Other figures include Fleming, a 56-year-old distributor from Hawthorne, and Iwamasa, Perry’s 61-year-old Toluca Lake assistant who delivered the fatal doses. Prosecutors wielded decisive power, overriding local dynamics to pursue deterrence. This sentencing disrupts underground networks but highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in ketamine markets, often misused by those seeking self-medication amid limited addiction support.
Implications for Justice and the Drug Crisis
The 15-year term sets a precedent for harsh penalties in distribution-resulting-in-death cases, aligning with federal guidelines. Perry’s family achieves some closure, while North Hollywood communities benefit from reduced local trafficking. Hollywood faces renewed scrutiny over celebrity addictions, exposing how Schedule III ketamine—legitimately used for depression—fuels illicit dangers. Politically, this bolsters federal anti-trafficking efforts under President Trump’s second term, where Republicans control Congress amid Democrat obstruction. Yet frustrations persist: both conservatives decrying border-fueled drug inflows and liberals lamenting welfare gaps agree the deep state prioritizes reelection over crushing cartels eroding the American Dream. True reform demands limited government focused on law, order, and personal responsibility.
