Friends of the “Ketamine Queen” accused of selling drugs that killed Matthew Perry hit back today, defending her as “uplifting”, “bubbly”, “sweet” and “spiritual”.
An old friend said deadly alleged drug dealer Jasveen Sangha “gave no clue” that she was facing serious drug charges at her birthday party just days ago.
And another friend suggested Perry was to blame, telling DailyMail.com that “at the end of the day, nobody forces anyone to do drugs.”
Prosecutors on Thursday announced 18 charges against Sangha, 41, along with two doctors who allegedly illegally supplied Perry with ketamine, a middleman who trafficked it and Perry’s assistant who injected him with the tranquilizing drug the day he died.
Sangha pleaded not guilty today in federal court in Los Angeles and was jailed pending trial.
Jasveen Sangha, 41, faces 18 criminal charges related to the overdose death of Matthew Perry
Sangha’s friends have suggested that the Friends star is to blame for her death.
Interior designer Clancy Carter, a friend of Sangha’s since 2008, told DailyMail.com she was shocked her friend was involved in large-scale drug dealing as she came from a wealthy family who supported her.
“She always wears the most stylish designer clothes. She has a family that takes care of her,” said the Orange County mother of three. “She’s never been the kind of person who needs money.
“He has a property in the UK. He is always travelling and doing fun things with his family.
“I would never have imagined she would do something like this, but if they have evidence that directly links her, I am completely shocked.”
He described Sangha as “uplifting, cheerful and sweet” and “spiritual,” but added: “Either way, someone innocent died, someone who needed proper care and attention. So it’s concerning, for sure.”
Interior designer Clancy Carter, who has been friends with Sangha since 2008, told DailyMail.com she was shocked that her friend was involved in large-scale drug dealing.
According to an indictment filed Thursday, drug dealer Eric Fleming sent a text message to Perry’s assistant, Kenny Iwamasa, on Oct. 11 last year, telling him that Sangha “only deals with high-level people and celebrities” when supplying drugs.
Prosecutors then detailed sales of 50 vials of liquid ketamine that Sangha allegedly sold to Perry through his assistant.
Carter told DailyMail.com that her friend did indeed mix with Hollywood high society, working in marketing and event planning for the rich and famous, and had attended previous Golden Globes and Oscars ceremonies with Carter.
“She knows a lot of people in the industry,” Carter said. “She and I have been to the Golden Globes and the Oscars. There are a lot of celebrities that she interacted with.”
“I love her very much. I wouldn’t want anything terrible to happen to her, no matter what.”
Artist Heather Pardieu, 42, said she had never seen Sangha dealing or involved with drugs.
Artist Heather Pardieu, 42, also said she was shocked to learn of the charges against her friend Sangha, but suggested at least some of the responsibility for Perry’s death lay with the actor himself.
“She’s a friend of mine,” Pardieu told DailyMail.com. “I mean, at the end of the day, nobody forces anyone to take drugs.”
He added that he had never seen Sangha dealing or involved with drugs.
But prosecutors say that when the Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies raided his North Hollywood home in March, they found thousands of pills and pounds of powder.
“During the search, law enforcement seized significant quantities of illegal drugs, including approximately 1,978 grams of orange-colored pills that field tested positive for methamphetamine, 79 bottles containing a clear liquid that field tested positive for ketamine, and several other suspected narcotics,” DEA Agent Tyler Abrego wrote in a March 20 criminal complaint.
The agent wrote that there were text messages on her phone about selling ketamine, as well as videos of her “cooking” ketamine — the basis for a series of drug charges filed even before her alleged involvement in Perry’s death was revealed.
Friends say Sangha skillfully hid the impending charges and dire legal situation from them, throwing a birthday party earlier this month and giving no hint of the trouble he was in.
Los Angeles real estate agent Greg Wasik said Sangha seemed normal and collected as she celebrated her 41st birthday with friends at a Hollywood bar just days ago.
Los Angeles real estate agent Greg Wasik told DailyMail.com he was shocked to learn his long-time friend had been charged with selling the drugs that killed Perry.
Wasik said Sangha seemed normal and composed as she celebrated her 41st birthday with friends at a Hollywood bar just days ago.
“I was at his birthday party the other day and I had no idea that anything like that was going on in his life,” she said. “He was definitely a pretty normal person that I’ve known for years.”
Wasik said he met Sangha through dance music events they frequented, attending her birthday party this month, as well as a more lavish 1970s-themed event for her 40th birthday last year, where Sangha dressed in sequins, carried a pimp-style cane and posed next to a high-end Mercedes.
Prosecutors argued that Sangha, who has a wealthy family and dual British nationality, posed a flight risk. Judge Alka Sagar agreed and jailed her ahead of a trial in October.