Matthew Perry's Stepmother Seeks Maximum Sentence for 'Ketamine Queen'

Family Calls for Maximum Penalty in 'Ketamine Queen' Sentencing

The stepmother of late Friends star Matthew Perry has issued a powerful plea to a California judge, demanding the maximum possible prison sentence for Jasveen Sangha, the woman known as the "Ketamine Queen" who supplied the drugs that led to the actor's fatal overdose.

In a victim impact statement submitted on Tuesday, Debbie Perry described the "irreversible" destruction Sangha has left in her wake. "The pain you’ve caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible," she wrote. "There is no joy... No light in the window. They won’t be back."

Sangha, a dual US-UK citizen, could face more than 60 years in prison when she is sentenced on Wednesday. She has already pleaded guilty to five federal charges, including the distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

A Network of Enablers

Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles residence in October 2023. A medical examiner later ruled the death an accident caused by the "acute effects of ketamine." While Perry was undergoing supervised ketamine therapy for depression, he had sought out illegal sources to feed a resurfacing addiction.

The investigation into his death revealed a "broad underground criminal network" of suppliers and enablers, leading to five convictions:

• Jasveen Sangha: Allegedly provided 51 vials of ketamine to Perry via an intermediary.
• Dr. Salvador Plasencia: Formally sentenced to 30 months for distributing ketamine to Perry at massive markups, famously texting another doctor: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
• Dr. Mark Chavez: Received eight months of home detention and three years of supervised release for his role in providing the drugs.
• Kenneth Iwamasa: Perry’s personal assistant, who admitted to injecting the actor multiple times on the day he died.
• Erik Fleming: The intermediary between Sangha and Perry’s staff.

Both Iwamasa and Fleming are scheduled for sentencing later this month.

"No Excuses"

From federal custody, Sangha reportedly expressed remorse for her actions. Speaking to The Sun, she stated, "There are no excuses for what I did. I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused, especially to Matthew’s family."

However, the prosecution has highlighted Sangha's attempt to cover her tracks immediately following the actor's death, noting she instructed her associates to "delete all our messages" once the news broke.

Debbie Perry’s statement pushed back against any plea for leniency, characterizing Sangha as a woman who used her business acumen to profit from suffering. "Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours," she urged.

Matthew Perry, beloved globally for his portrayal of Chandler Bing, was 54 at the time of his death. He had been candid about his decades-long battle with substance abuse in his 2022 memoir, hoping his journey toward sobriety would help others.