Fueled by a relentless pursuit of justice, the United States Attorney’s Office for Iowa has delivered a decisive blow to the illegal drug trade. Shon Dwayne Perkins, 37, a Dubuque-based fentanyl dealer, was sentenced on July 1, 2025, to a five-year federal prison term for distributing a deadly mixture of fentanyl and xylazine.
The grim saga of Perkins’ criminal enterprise came to light in December 19, 2024, when he entered a guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location. Evidence presented at the hearing painted a chilling portrait of Perkins’ activities, revealing his role in selling fentanyl that contained xylazine—a dangerous additive known for causing severe tissue damage.
The consequences of Perkins’ actions were dire. One drug user who purchased and ingested the mixture developed necrosis of the arms, resulting in permanent scarring—a tragic testament to the destructive power of fentanyl when mixed with xylazine.
Sentencing took place in Cedar Rapids before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Perkins was handed a 60-month prison sentence and an additional six years of supervised release, leaving no room for parole under federal law. He currently remains in the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service, awaiting transfer to a federal correctional facility.
The case against Perkins was prosecuted with determination by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, while the Dubuque Drug Task Force conducted an extensive investigation into his criminal activities. The court file for this case can be accessed at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, under case number 24-CR-01034.
For those seeking more information on this and other critical issues, follow the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter at @USAO_NDIA.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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