LOS ANGELES, California: Jasveen Sangha, better known as the woman who sold actor Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023, was, on April 8, sentenced to 15 years in prison.

"You're going to have to show some epic resilience," federal judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said to Sangha, echoing the defendant's words earlier in the hearing about her self-improvement.

The judge said Sangha played a key role in Perry's death and ran a large drug business, so she gave the 42-year-old a sentence that will likely be longer than all four of her co-accused combined.

The hearing in a Los Angeles court marked the peak of a two-and-a-half-year investigation into the death of the 54-year-old actor, famous for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, which made him a major TV star in the 1990s and 2000s.

Perry's stepfather, Keith Morrison, said he and Perry's mother feel deep sadness every day. He said Perry had a unique spark and should have had many more years ahead of him.

Before being sentenced, Sangha said she feels deep shame for her actions. She admitted they were not mistakes but terrible choices that hurt many people and their families.

Prosecutors got the sentence they wanted, describing Sangha as a major ketamine dealer running a complex operation for wealthy clients to support a luxurious lifestyle.

Her lawyers argued that she had already spent enough time in jail since her arrest in August 2024, citing her good behavior and lack of a prior criminal record.

Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home in October 2023. Doctors said ketamine was the main cause of death, with drowning as a secondary factor.

Sangha's lawyer, Mark Geragos, argued that addiction, not Sangha, was the real cause of Perry's death, saying no one could have stopped him.

In September, Sangha became the last of five accused to plead guilty. She admitted to using her home to sell drugs, selling ketamine several times, and selling a dose that led to death.

Geragos also criticized prosecutors for calling her the "Ketamine Queen," saying it was just a media tactic.

Perry had been legally using ketamine for depression through his doctor, but he wanted more than he was prescribed. This led him to another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, who illegally sold him the drug and was later sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Days before his death, Perry bought a deadly dose from Sangha for US$6,000.

Another doctor who supplied the drug got eight months of home detention. Perry's assistant and a friend, who helped arrange the drugs, are still waiting for their sentences.

The judge said she tried to carefully balance the punishments for all five people. She questioned why Sangha should get a much longer sentence than the others involved.

Her lawyer argued this difference was unfair, asking why the supplier should be punished more than the person who actually gave the drug.

But the judge said Sangha's large drug business, years of dealing, and many clients made her more responsible. She also noted that her lack of a criminal record may not fully reflect her actions.

The judge pointed out that Sangha kept selling drugs even after learning in 2019 that one of her customers had died.

The judge told Perry's family that the process brings no joy, but she hoped they might feel some sense of justice in the end.