Matthew Perry's family call for 'heartless' drug dealer to receive maximum sentence
The Friends actor died after taking drugs in October 2023.
Matthew Perry's stepmother has called on the judge to hand down the maximum sentence to the drug dealer who pleaded guilty in the criminal case for Perry's death.
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Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the 'Ketamine Queen', pleaded guilty to five federal charges, including providing the beloved actor with the drug that ultimately led to his death.
Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home by his assistant on October 28, 2023.
The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anaesthetic, was the primary cause of death.
Perry's stepmother, Debbie Perry, has opened up about the anguish the actor's loved ones have been through since he died in 2023 at the age of 54.
Read more: Doctor who gave Matthew Perry ketamine before fatal overdose sentenced to eight months house arrest
Read more: 'Ketamine Queen' pleads guilty to providing Matthew Perry with fatal dose of drug that killed him
Debbie, who is married to Matthew's father, John Bennett Perry, wrote in a victim impact statement: "The pain you've caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible. There is no joy to be found, no light in the window.
"They won't be back. That thought comes through our day every day."
She wrote: "You caused this. You who has talent for business, enough to make money, chose the one way that hurts people. How sad for you. How will you ever find joy – have you ever found joy? How sad for us all. We miss him."
Debbie concluded her letter by asking the California court to give Sangha a maximum prison sentence so that she "won't be able to hurt other families like ours".
Making good on a deal she signed on August 18, Sangha pleaded guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
Prosecutors agreed to drop three other counts related to the distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine that was unrelated to the Perry case.
The final plea deal came a year after federal prosecutors announced that five people had been charged in Perry's death after a sweeping investigation.
Sangha could face up to 65 years in prison.