Jasveen Sangha, a North Hollywood woman known by the moniker Ketamine Queen
, has agreed to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including the provision of ketamine that resulted in the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry on October 24, 2023.
According to the Justice Department, Sangha, 42, operated a drug distribution network from her residence in a midrise complex in North Hollywood. As part of her plea agreement, Sangha acknowledged that her home functioned as a hub for the production, stockpiling, and sale of illicit drugs for a period of five years, beginning no later than 2019.
Legal proceedings indicate that Sangha could face over six decades in prison for her role in the distribution of the drugs that killed Perry.
The Drug Distribution Network
Federal prosecutors alleged that Sangha used her North Hollywood apartment to manage an extensive trafficking operation. Associates and customers referred to her as the Ketamine Queen
due to her role in the illicit trade.
The investigation revealed that Sangha’s activities were not limited to the case involving Matthew Perry. In August 2019, Sangha sold ketamine to a customer identified as Cody McLaury, who died from an overdose shortly after the transaction took place.
Court filings noted that Sangha did not appear to hold legitimate employment from 2019 onward, the same period during which her residence became a center for drug distribution.
Background and Education
Sangha is a British-American of Punjabi origin. She is the daughter of Baljeet Singh Chhokar and entrepreneur Nilem Singh. Her grandparents had previously established a fortune within the fashion retail industry in east London.
Following the remarriage of her mother, Sangha’s family relocated to Calabasas, California. She completed her high school education in Calabasas in 2001. Her senior yearbook entry for that year featured the quote: It isn’t what they say about you, it’s what they whisper.
Sangha pursued higher education at the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences. In 2010, she obtained a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the Hult International Business School in London.
Before her involvement in drug trafficking, Sangha was associated with a business in Studio City, Los Angeles, called the Stiletto Nail Bar.
Broader Legal Proceedings
The investigation into the death of Matthew Perry extended beyond Sangha. On August 15, 2024, the Justice Department announced that five defendants had been charged in connection with the actor’s death, a group that included two doctors.
The charges against the defendants center on the distribution of the ketamine that caused Perry’s death on October 24, 2023. While Sangha has agreed to plead guilty to her specific charges, other defendants in the case face varying penalties; for instance, a defendant named Chavez faced up to 10 years in federal prison at the time of sentencing.