'Ketamine Queen' sentenced to 15 years in prison over Matthew Perry's death

(AFP) A drug dealer dubbed the Ketamine Queen, who supplied the dose that caused the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday in a California court.

Jasveen Sangha, 42, has been in federal custody since 2024, and pleaded guilty last year to a series of charges, including one for distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

Sangha, who is a U.S. and British citizen, is one of five people convicted in connection with the death of the actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction problems.

Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home in October 2023. An autopsy revealed that he had high levels of ketamine in his system.

His death shocked Friends fans and prompted a police investigation that unraveled a network of suppliers and accomplices, including doctors who profited from Perry’s addiction, who was his patient.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who admitted to four counts of distributing ketamine in the weeks leading up to Perry's death, was sentenced to 30 months in prison last year.

Another doctor, Mark Chavez, was sentenced to home prison and hundreds of hours of community service. Both surrendered their license to practice medicine.

Plasencia purchased ketamine from Chavez and sold it to the actor at high prices.

Prosecutors said Perry paid more than $2,000 for a bottle of ketamine, something that cost his dealers just a fraction of that value.