Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison

A man who sold fentanyl in Dubuque was sentenced on July 1, 2025, to 60 months in federal prison.  Shon Dwayne Perkins, age 37, received the prison sentence after a December 19, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.

Evidence at the hearing established that in addition to selling a fentanyl-xylazine mixture near a protected location, Perkins on multiple occasions sold fentanyl that contained xylazine.  Due to his distribution of the fentanyl xylazine mixture, a drug user buying and using the controlled substances distributed by Perkins developed necrosis of the arms that resulted in permanent scarring.

Perkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  He was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Perkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-01034.

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