On December 20, 2024, Terrell Jermaine Perkins from New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to five years in prison by United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose. Perkins faced charges of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Court documents revealed that on March 30, 2022, a deputy from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office stopped a black 2020 Dodge Journey Van for a traffic violation on Interstate 10 eastbound near the McDonald Road exit. Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy noticed a strong marijuana odor emanating from within. The driver, identified as Perkins, was asked to exit the van. This led law enforcement to conduct a probable cause search due to the marijuana smell.
During their search, deputies found a black fanny pack on the front passenger seat containing several small brownish rocks and twelve pills. Perkins admitted he knowingly possessed these narcotics. Laboratory tests confirmed that the brown rocks contained heroin and fentanyl weighing a total of 40.75 grams. The pills were found to contain 2.2 grams of methamphetamine. It was determined that Perkins intended to distribute the fentanyl.
The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case.