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Stepfamily seeks harshest penalty for drug supplier
Debbie Perry, stepmother of the late Friends actor Matthew Perry, has urged a California court to impose the longest possible prison term on the woman convicted of supplying the ketamine that led to his death.
Victim impact statement details devastation
In a statement filed Tuesday, Debbie Perry described the damage as "irreversible," stating, "The pain you've caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible. There is no joy... No light in the window. They won't be back."
She directly addressed Jasveen Sangha, known as the Ketamine Queen, writing, "You caused this... You who has talent for business enough to make money chose the one way that hurts people."
Perry's stepmother concluded with a plea: "Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won't be able to hurt other families like ours."
Sangha faces sentencing after guilty plea
Sangha, a dual U.S.-U.K. citizen held in federal custody since 2024, is scheduled for sentencing Wednesday. She previously pleaded guilty to five charges, including distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Prosecutors say she could receive over 60 years in prison.
In a statement to The Sun, Sangha expressed remorse: "There are no excuses for what I did. I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused, especially to Matthew's family."
Circumstances of Perry's death
The 54-year-old actor, renowned for his role as Chandler Bing in the 1990s sitcom Friends, was found unresponsive in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home in October 2023. Los Angeles County medical officials ruled his death an accident caused by the "acute effects of ketamine."
Perry had battled substance addiction for decades and was undergoing ketamine therapy for depression under medical supervision at the time of his death.
Other convictions in the case
Sangha is one of five individuals convicted in connection with Perry's death. Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who admitted to distributing ketamine in the weeks leading up to the actor's death, received a 30-month prison sentence last year. Another physician, Mark Chavez, was sentenced to eight months of home detention and three years of supervised release.
Court records revealed Plasencia purchased ketamine from Chavez and sold it to Perry at exorbitant prices-up to $2,000 (£1,500) per vial. Text messages presented in court included Plasencia's remark, "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
Chain of distribution and cover-up
Sangha collaborated with an intermediary, Erik Fleming, to sell 51 vials of ketamine to Perry's personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa administered multiple injections to Perry on October 28, 2023, including at least three shots that directly contributed to his fatal overdose.
Following Perry's death, Sangha instructed Fleming to "delete all our messages," according to court documents.
Iwamasa and Fleming are set to be sentenced later this month.
