Matthew Perry: What it was like living next to ‘Ketamine Queen’ linked to actor’s death
Jasveen Sangha is one of five charged with drug-related offences over the death of Perry, who is best known for playing Chandler Bing in hit US sitcom Friends.
Neighbours of the so-called “Ketamine Queen” who is facing multiple charges over the death of Matthew Perry have described the loud parties and frequent visitors to the flat where she lived.
Ketamine supplied by Jasveen Sangha, 41, is alleged to have caused the Friends star’s death in October 2023 at the age of 54.
She is one of five charged with drug-related offences along with a medical doctor known as “Dr. P”, Perry’s live-in personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Eric Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry, and another doctor, Mark Chavez.
A dual US and UK citizen, Sangha allegedly ran a “drug-selling emporium” from a flat in north Hollywood.
Neighbours who lived in the same building told Sky News’ US correspondent Martha Kelner that they often saw people “coming and going” and on occasion, Sangha had “loud parties”.
One man, Jamie Duke, said he once heard her door being “busted open” one evening, which caused “a lot of commotion in the hallway”.
He said he also saw people with briefcases and sometimes instrument cases coming in and out, so he thought they were musicians.
“It’s pretty bizarre,” Mr Duke said, adding: “I never really thought that would be something I would be next door to, it is kind of surreal and scary.”
Who is the ‘Ketamine Queen’?
According to federal prosecutors, Sangha had been selling ketamine and other drugs for years.
She reportedly began to provide Perry – who had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for anxiety and depression – with the drug through Fleming, who would then give it to Perry’s assistant, Iwamasa.
According to prosecutors, the actor had been seeking out unsupervised doses of the controlled substance and had developed an “out of control” dependence on it.
In the days leading up to Perry’s death, Iwamasa was administering “at least six shots” of ketamine a day, prosecutors said.
After the star’s death federal agents and detectives searched Sangha’s “stash house”, according to Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.
They found approximately 79 vials of ketamine and around 1.3kg of orange pills containing methamphetamine, hallucinogenic mushrooms and cocaine.
After her arrest on Thursday, Sangha was charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine.
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She pleaded not guilty but was not released on bail, as she had already been on bail after being arrested in March for a previous drug charge and had asked a co-conspirator to delete text messages.
Her trial is scheduled for 15 October. If convicted, she faces up to a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.
What we know about others charged over Perry’s death
Dr Salvador Plasencia, also known as “Dr. P”, has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
The 42-year-old is alleged to have sourced ketamine for Perry from a co-defendant and to have instructed the star’s assistant on how to inject it.
He is alleged to have sent a text that read “I wonder how much this moron will pay… lets find out” regarding Perry buying drugs.
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Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
The 54-year-old also admitted repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including on the day he died.
Eric Fleming was an acquaintance of Perry. He has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
Fleming, 54, admitted to giving Iwamasa the ketamine that killed Perry.
Dr Mark Chavez is a San Diego physician, also 54. He has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
In his plea agreement, he admitted selling ketamine to “Dr. P” and obtaining it via fraudulent prescription, and making false representation to a wholesale ketamine distributor.
