The image was a nightmare for any fan of Friends. Matthew Perry, the man who spent a decade making the world laugh as Chandler Bing, was found face down in his hot tub on October 28, 2023. It felt like a freak accident. A tragic, lone-wolf relapse. But as federal investigators started pulling on the threads of his final weeks, a much darker, much more organized picture emerged. It wasn't just a lapse in judgment. It was a predatory network.
At the center of it all was a woman the feds call the Ketamine Queen.
Her real name is Jasveen Sangha. For years, she reportedly lived a high-flying life in North Hollywood, posting photos of travel and luxury while allegedly running what prosecutors described as a "drug-selling emporium." Honestly, the details coming out of the court documents are enough to make your skin crawl. This wasn't some back-alley operation; it was a calculated business that targeted the vulnerable and the wealthy.
The Myth of the "Clean" Supply
There's this weird misconception that because Perry was receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression, his death was just a medical treatment gone wrong. That is flat-out false. His last legal session was more than a week before he died. The ketamine that actually killed him? That came from the street. Specifically, it came from Sangha's "stash house."
You've got to understand the scale here. When the DEA raided Sangha’s home in March 2024, they didn't just find a few pills. They found:
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- 79 vials of liquid ketamine.
- Nearly 2 kilograms of meth-laced pills.
- Xanax, cocaine, and even "ketamine lollipops."
Prosecutors say Sangha knew exactly how dangerous her product was. Back in 2019, she allegedly sold ketamine to a man named Cody McLaury. He died hours later. When his family texted her saying her drugs killed him, she didn't stop. She didn't call for help. Instead, she hopped on Google and searched: "Can ketamine be listed as a cause of death?"
How the "Ketamine Queen" Reached a Superstar
It's natural to wonder how a North Hollywood dealer ends up in the inner circle of one of the most famous actors on the planet. It wasn't a direct line. It was a chain of exploitation involving five key players.
Basically, Perry’s addiction was spiraling. He wanted more than his doctors would give him. This led him to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a medic who looked at Perry and apparently saw a walking ATM. "I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia reportedly texted another doctor, Mark Chavez.
But eventually, even the doctors weren't enough. That’s when Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, reached out to a middleman named Erik Fleming. Fleming was the bridge to Sangha. He told Iwamasa that Sangha only dealt with "high end and celebs" and that her stuff was "amazing."
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In the final days, the numbers became staggering. Perry bought 50 vials from Sangha in the span of two weeks. On the day he died, Iwamasa injected him three separate times. The last request Perry ever made? "Shoot me up with a big one."
The Legal Dominoes Fall
As we move through 2026, the legal consequences have finally caught up with everyone involved. It’s been a slow, grueling process for the fans and the family.
- Jasveen Sangha (The Ketamine Queen): After initially pleading not guilty, Sangha changed her tune. In August 2025, she agreed to plead guilty to charges including distribution of ketamine resulting in death. She's looking at a massive sentence—potentially up to life, though her plea might cap it closer to 40 or 50 years. Her sentencing is set for early 2026.
- Dr. Salvador Plasencia: He also struck a plea deal in mid-2025. In December 2025, he was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
- Dr. Mark Chavez: The supplier doctor received 8 months of home detention and 3 years of supervised release in late 2025.
- Kenneth Iwamasa & Erik Fleming: Both pleaded guilty early on and cooperated with the feds to bring down the "bigger fish" like Sangha.
It's a grim reminder that even with all the money and fame in the world, the "disease" Perry wrote so eloquently about in his memoir is always waiting. He thought he was buying a "giant happy shovel" to dig himself out of depression. Instead, he was being fed a lethal dose by people who viewed his life as a transaction.
What This Means for Ketamine Safety
If you or someone you know is using ketamine for mental health, don't let this story scare you away from legitimate medical care—but let it be a massive red flag about the "gray market."
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Real ketamine therapy happens in a clinic with a crash cart, a heart monitor, and a board-certified professional. It doesn't happen in a hot tub. It doesn't involve "unmarked" vials delivered by an assistant. And it certainly doesn't involve a "Ketamine Queen."
Actionable Insights for Navigating Treatment:
- Verify the Clinic: Ensure any ketamine provider is licensed and has a medical doctor on-site, not just a "consultant."
- Check Supervision Protocols: Legitimate infusions require constant monitoring of vitals (blood pressure, heart rate). Perry’s blood pressure spiked so hard during one "home treatment" that he froze up, and the doctor still left more vials behind. That is malpractice, not medicine.
- Monitor the Supply: Never accept "off-book" medication. If it's not coming from a pharmacy or a controlled clinical supply, it's a gamble with your life.
- Understand the Risks: Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic. Combining it with other central nervous system depressants or using it in water (like a pool or tub) is a recipe for a fatal accident due to loss of consciousness.
The tragedy of Matthew Perry isn't just that he died; it's that he was surrounded by people who were paid to protect him and chose to profit from his pain instead. Stay vigilant. If a "medical" treatment starts feeling like a drug deal, it is one.