Justice for Matthew Perry isn't about celebrity worship. It's about a cold realization that the people who profit from addiction rarely care if their "clients" live to see the next morning. On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, a federal judge in Los Angeles finally drew a line in the sand. Jasveen Sangha, the 42-year-old woman dubbed the Ketamine Queen, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
She isn't just another street dealer caught in a sting. Sangha was a high-society ghost who specialized in high-purity ketamine and methamphetamine, running a boutique drug warehouse right out of her North Hollywood home. While the world mourned the loss of Chandler Bing, Sangha was reportedly worried about her "trademarks" and book rights. That kind of detachment is exactly why this sentence is so heavy.
The North Hollywood Emporium
Prosecutors didn't hold back. They described Sangha’s residence as a high-volume distribution hub that had been operational since at least 2019. It wasn't just a side hustle. This was a professional operation that catered to Hollywood’s elite, providing an air of "exclusivity" that masked the lethal reality of the product.
When you look at the evidence, the numbers are staggering. In the days leading up to Perry’s death in October 2023, Sangha sold the actor's team roughly 50 vials of ketamine. This wasn't medical grade therapy administered in a clinic; it was a cash-for-death transaction worth thousands of dollars. Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, was the one who actually administered the shots, but Sangha was the source. She provided the "sample" vial with the blue lid that started the final downward spiral.
A history of ignoring the body count
One of the most damning pieces of the prosecution’s case involved a man named Cody McLaury. In 2019, McLaury died from a ketamine overdose just hours after buying the drug from Sangha. Did she stop? No. She kept selling.
When the news of Matthew Perry’s death broke, Sangha didn't panic out of guilt. She panicked out of self-preservation. This pattern of behavior is what Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett focused on during the sentencing. It wasn't a one-time mistake or a lapse in judgment. It was a business model built on "cold callousness."
The co-conspirators and their price
Sangha is the third person to be sentenced in this sprawling case, and her 15-year term is by far the longest. Here is how the others have fared so far:
- Salvador Plasencia: A former physician sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. He was the "Dr. P" who saw Perry as a payday, famously texting about how much the "moron" would pay.
- Mark Chavez: Another doctor who received eight months of home confinement after cooperating with the feds.
- Erik Fleming: The middleman who connected Sangha to Perry’s assistant. His sentencing is still on the horizon.
- Kenneth Iwamasa: Perry's live-in assistant who admitted to injecting him. He’s also awaiting his fate.
The disparity in these sentences shows that the court views the supplier—the person who maintains the "drug-involved premises"—as the most dangerous link in the chain.
What this means for the future of celebrity drug culture
Honestly, we’ve seen this play out before with Michael Jackson and Prince. But the Perry case feels different because of the sheer number of people involved in his exploitation. You had doctors, assistants, and "queens" all circling a man who was openly struggling with his sobriety.
Perry wrote about his addiction in his memoir with heartbreaking honesty. He told us he’d spent $9 million trying to get sober. He’d been to rehab 60 times. He knew he was a "big terrible thing" away from the end. The people around him knew it too, and they still chose the $6,000 cash payment over his life.
The emotional weight of the courtroom
The sentencing wasn't just about legal jargon and sentencing guidelines. Keith Morrison, Perry’s stepfather and the voice of Dateline, spoke about the "daily, grinding sadness" that has replaced the spark Perry brought to the world. Perry’s stepmother, Debbie Perry, called Sangha "heartless" in a victim impact statement.
Sangha herself told the judge she felt "shame" and that her choices were "horrible decisions." Whether you believe her or see it as a last-ditch effort to shave years off her sentence is up to you. The judge didn't seem entirely convinced, given the 15-year term.
If you’re following this case, the next steps are clear. Watch for the final sentencings of Fleming and Iwamasa. Their cooperation was key to taking down the "Ketamine Queen," but it won't bring Perry back. It does, however, send a loud message to the boutique dealers of Los Angeles: the "exclusive" label won't protect you from a federal cell.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Don't wait until the "queens" and "doctors" find you.
