Dealer Jasveen Sangha Gets 15 Years for Ketamine Sale That Caused Matthew Perry’s Death
Jasveen Sangha — dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" — was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges including using her home for drug distribution, three counts of ketamine distribution and one count of ketamine distribution resulting in death for supplying the ketamine Matthew Perry bought in a $6,000 cash deal days before his fatal overdose. Judge Garnett adopted a guideline range of 14 to 17.5 years; Sangha, the only one of five defendants to explicitly acknowledge causing Perry’s death, received a term likely longer than the others combined (Dr. Salvador Plasencia got 2.5 years and another doctor received eight months of home detention), and victim-impact statements were read as Sangha said she wears her shame "like a jacket" and called her actions "horrible decisions."
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett adopted a guideline range of 14 to 17.5 years and imposed a 15-year prison sentence on Jasveen Sangha.
- Sangha was convicted on five counts: one count of using her home for drug distribution, three counts of ketamine distribution, and one count of ketamine distribution resulting in death.
- Sangha was the only one of five defendants whose plea deal explicitly acknowledged that her conduct caused Matthew Perry’s death; her 15-year term will likely exceed the other sentences combined.
- Days before Perry’s death, he bought $6,000 in ketamine from Sangha in a cash deal; previously he had obtained ketamine from Dr. Salvador Plasencia (who received 2.5 years) and another doctor who got eight months of home detention.
- Victim-impact statements were delivered by Perry’s stepfather Keith Morrison and stepmother Debbie Perry; Sangha expressed remorse in court, saying she wears her shame "like a jacket" and called her actions "horrible decisions."
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, Hispanic females received federal sentences 27.8 percent longer than White females, while Other race females received sentences 10.0 percent shorter than White females.
2023 Demographic Differences in Federal Sentencing — United States Sentencing Commission
From 2023 to 2024, drug overdose death rates declined for each race and Hispanic-origin group, with the largest decreases occurring for Black non-Hispanic people.
Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2023–2024 — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Adults with depression were 80% more likely to have used ketamine in the past year in 2015-2019, but this association weakened in later years.
Ketamine Use on the Rise in U.S. Adults; New Trends Emerge — UC San Diego Today
People of color make up 39 percent of the U.S. population but nearly 70 percent of those in federal prisons, indicating overrepresentation in federal convictions.
Leadership Conference Comments on the U.S. Sentencing Commission Proposed Amendments — The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Approximately 82% of deaths with ketamine detected in toxicology reports involved other substances, including illegally manufactured fentanyls.
Notes from the Field: Ketamine Detection and Involvement in Drug Overdose Deaths — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2019–2021 — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the sentencing judge as U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett and notes she adopted a guideline range of 14 to 17.5 years before imposing 15 years.
- Specifies that Sangha is the only one of five defendants whose plea deal included an explicit acknowledgment of causing Matthew Perry’s death, and that her term will likely exceed the other sentences combined.
- Details the exact counts of conviction: one count of using her home for drug distribution, three counts of ketamine distribution, and one count of ketamine distribution resulting in death.
- Describes that Perry bought $6,000 in ketamine from Sangha in a cash deal days before his death, after previously obtaining ketamine from Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who got 2.5 years, and another doctor who received eight months of home detention.
- Includes emotional victim-impact statements from Perry’s stepfather Keith Morrison and stepmother Debbie Perry, and quotes Sangha saying she wears her shame "like a jacket" and calling her actions "horrible decisions."