Shawn Perkins Sentenced to 78 Months for Drug Trafficking and Gun Law Violations

Lexington, Ky. – Shawn Perkins, a 22-year-old from Mt. Sterling, was handed a 78-month prison sentence in federal court on Thursday, after being convicted of drug trafficking and violating firearms laws.

Perkins was accused of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and using a false statement to purchase a firearm. According to the plea agreement, Perkins had been denied the ability to buy the same firearm on August 9, 2018, due to his prior conviction for domestic violence.

The authorities recovered seven firearms, ammunition, cash, drugs, and drug paraphernalia from Perkins’ residence after reports of him firing an AR-15 rifle into the field across from his home. Perkins also admitted to having 728 oxycodone tablets on August 28, 2019.

Perkins pleaded guilty in May 2020, and under federal law, he must serve 85 percent of his sentence. Upon release, he will be under U.S. Probation Office supervision for three years.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods’ Program, aiming to reduce violent crime in communities, and also falls under Project Guardian, targeting gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws.

Robert M. Duncan Jr., Shawn Morrow from ATF, and Sheriff David Charles were among those who announced Perkins’ sentence. The investigation was led by ATF and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, with representation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.

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