(NewsNation) — Jasveen Sangha, the “Ketamine Queen,” and one of Matthew Perry’s doctors, Salvador Plasencia, are due in federal court on Wednesday for the actor’s death.
Sangha and Plasencia, who have pleaded not guilty, are among five people charged in connection to the “Friends” star’s overdose last year.
Text messages show Plasencia wanted to be Perry’s “go-to” guy for ketamine. He even met Perry in a public parking lot to inject him with ketamine weeks before his death.
Prosecutors say the doctor got Perry to pay $55,000 — in cash — for the drug in the two months before his death, aged 54.
If convicted, Plascencia could get up to 120 years. Sangha could get life in prison.
Authorities say she ran a narcotics operation from her north Hollywood apartment and had a reputation as a “celebrity drug dealer,” boasting of relationships with her famous patrons.
Others indicted are Perry’s friend Erik Fleming, Perry’s personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and Dr. Mark Chavez. All three have pleaded guilty.
Matthew Perry’s death timeline
Perry had at least 27 shots of ketamine in the three days leading up to his overdose. Sangha is accused of providing the doses of the drug that actually killed the “Friends” star.
On the day of his passing, Iwamasa gave Perry three injections of the drug.
After the final injection, Iwamasa left to run errands and returned hours later to find Perry face down in the jacuzzi. He pulled Perry up and called 911. Paramedics arrived minutes later and declared Perry dead.
Two days after his death, Fleming texted the so-called ketamine queen, saying in part: “I’m 90 percent sure everyone is protected … I never dealt with Perry, only his assistant. So, the assistant was the enabler.”
What is ketamine?
Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic that’s manufactured commercially as a powder or liquid. It’s a chemical cousin of the illegal drug PCP, and it can potentially cause hallucinations and can impact both breathing and the heart.
Most ketamine illegally distributed in the United States is actually stolen or diverted from legitimate sources, like veterinary clinics. Distribution often occurs among friends.