Lead
Jasveen Sangha, 42, pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles federal court to charges that she supplied ketamine tied to actor Matthew Perry’s Oct. 28, 2023 death; she faces sentencing Dec. 10 and is the fifth person convicted in the case.
Key Takeaways
- Sangha pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug‑involved premises, three counts of distributing ketamine, and one count of distribution causing death or serious bodily injury.
- Prosecutors say Sangha and an associate sold Perry 51 vials of ketamine in October 2023; Perry died Oct. 28, 2023, at age 54 from the acute effects of ketamine.
- Sangha has been in custody since her arrest in August 2024 and is a dual U.S.-U.K. citizen; she faces a statutory maximum of 65 years in prison.
- Four others previously pleaded guilty in connection with Perry’s death: Kenneth Iwamasa, Salvador Plasencia, Mark Chavez and Erik Fleming.
- Authorities said Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three doses of ketamine on Oct. 28, 2023; others implicated supplied or distributed the drug earlier.
- During a March 2023 search of Sangha’s residence, investigators reportedly found 79 vials of liquid ketamine and other trafficking items.
Verified Facts
Federal prosecutors announced that Sangha pleaded guilty to five counts tied to a ketamine distribution network. The charges include maintaining a premises used for drug activity, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Matthew Perry was discovered unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, 2023. An autopsy concluded he died from the acute effects of ketamine. Prosecutors say that in the weeks before his death, associates provided the actor multiple vials of ketamine; on the day he died, at least three injections administered by his assistant contributed to the fatal overdose.
Authorities say Sangha and an associate, Erik Fleming, sold Perry 51 vials of ketamine in October 2023. Fleming and Iwamasa have admitted in court filings to roles in distributing or administering the drug and pleaded guilty in August 2024. Sentencing dates for those defendants are scheduled for November 2025.
Investigators searched Sangha’s North Hollywood residence in March 2023 and reported finding dozens of vials of liquid ketamine along with other drugs and trafficking paraphernalia. In her plea, Sangha also admitted selling ketamine linked to another overdose death: Cody McLaury died hours after receiving four vials from Sangha in August 2019, according to prosecutors.
Context & Impact
The plea resolves the final pending criminal case tied directly to Perry’s death, completing a chain of prosecutions that included medical providers, a personal assistant and distributors. It highlights how multiple actors in a drug supply chain can face serious federal charges when distribution is linked to a fatality.
Legal experts say convictions like Sangha’s underscore prosecutorial willingness to pursue distribution resulting in death charges when there is clear linkage between supplied controlled substances and a subsequent fatal overdose. The case may influence how prosecutors handle future overdose deaths involving prescription or illicit drugs.
- Public health advocates may use the case to press for stronger safeguards around use of potent anesthetics like ketamine outside medical settings.
- Defense attorneys and mitigation teams often focus on background, intent and addiction history at sentencing — factors Sangha’s counsel indicated they will present.
Official Statements
“She has accepted responsibility and feels horrible,”
Mark Geragos, defense attorney
Unconfirmed
- Exact mitigation details that Sangha’s legal team will present at sentencing have not been publicly disclosed.
- Full timelines of who handled each vial in the weeks before Oct. 28, 2023, are summarized in filings but some minute-by-minute details remain part of investigative records not released in full.
Bottom Line
Sangha’s guilty plea closes a high‑profile prosecutorial effort to hold suppliers accountable in a celebrity overdose case. Sentencing is set for Dec. 10, 2025, and the case may serve as a reference point for future prosecutions linking drug distribution to fatal overdoses.