Matthew Perry's death puts spotlight on 'ketamine queen' accused in 2019 overdose death
Cody McLaury got ketamine from the so-called 'ketamine queen' before he died in 2019, his family said.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The family of a Los Angeles man who died after using ketamine allegedly supplied by the so-called "ketamine queen" said they feel vindicated by the charges against her.
Jasveen Sangha of North Hollywood faces nine charges including distribution of ketamine resulting in death, in connection with the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry last year.
Sangha is one of five people charged in what the U.S. attorney calls a large underground criminal network that supplied drugs to Perry and others.
According to Cody McLaury's family, Sangha supplied him with ketamine that led to his death in 2019.
"The important thing to us is just getting more answers," said Katherine, a friend of McLaury's who spoke exclusively with ABC News. "The silver lining for us is that it did put a light back on Cody, and the pressure for an investigation to be done that should have been done five years ago."
McLaury's sister Kimberly recalls seeing text messages between her brother and Sangha after his death.
"I saw messages back and forth between the two of them, talking about ketamine and how much she has available, how much it costs," she said.
Last month, the U.S. Attorney's Office referenced McLaury's death when they announced charges in Perry's case.
"In 2019, the defendant Jasveen Sangha sold ketamine to another customer. That person died the same day. Nonetheless, defendant Sangha continued selling drugs, including ketamine," said US Attorney Martin Estrada.
This week, Sangha's attorney Mark Geragos said his client had no connection to Perry.
"My client never met Matthew Perry, has nothing to do with Matthew Perry and all the supposed rumors otherwise are just that, urban legend," said Geragos.
Geragos also takes issue with the nickname he says the U.S. Attorney's Office has given his client, Ketamine Queen.
"I admire the cleverness of it. I don't think it has any place in an indictment," said Geragos.
In a statement, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, "We never claimed to have given her the 'Ketamine Queen' nickname. That is something her customers - Erik Fleming, included - did."
In the indictment, Fleming is referred to as the broker who helped Perry obtain ketamine. This is what Estrada said about Sangha last month.
"Defendant Sangha sold the batch of ketamine that resulted in Mr. Perry's death on October 28th," said Estrada.
"This theory that the so-called fatal dose is somehow linked to my client is absolute garbage," said Geragos.
Sangha was arrested and released six months ago on separate charges, and Geragos says everything the U.S. Attorney's Office had then, they have now. Geragos doesn't understand why his client is the only defendant jailed without bond.
Sangha's trial is scheduled for March of next year.
