The US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California has charged five individuals, including Jasveen Sangha, an Indian-origin woman with British and American nationalities, in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry, from a ketamine overdose in October 2023.
The defendants include Sangha, also known as the Ketamine Queen of North Hollywood, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, also known as Dr. P of Santa Monica, Erik Fleming of Hawthorne, Kenneth Iwamasa of Toluca Lake, and Dr. Mark Chavez of San Diego.
Both Sangha and Plasencia were arrested and arraigned at United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles on August 15th.
Court documents unsealed on August 15th, charged Sangha and Plasencia with “an 18-count superseding indictment,” which alleged that “Sangha’s distribution of ketamine on October 24, 2023, caused Perry’s death. Plasencia is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.”
A statement from the US Attorney’s Office stated Sangha and Plasencia were charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Additionally, Sangha faces charges for maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five separate counts of ketamine distribution.
“These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug-dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.”
LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said, “Bringing these individuals to justice for their role in the untimely death of Mr. Perry required coordination and hard work by a number of people, and I want to thank LAPD detectives and our federal partners for their patience and dedication,” said adding “As the boots on the ground in our communities, on a daily basis LAPD officers witness first-hand the harm that these narcotics can cause, so I’m pleased that our collective efforts have led to the arrest of these individuals.”
“Today we announce charges brought against the five individuals who, together, are responsible for the death of Matthew Perry,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s tragic death. Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials. Every day, the DEA works tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the public and to hold accountable those that distribute deadly and dangerous drugs – whether they are local drug traffickers or doctors who violate their sworn oath to care for patients.”
If convicted, Sangha could face a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
