A Sioux City man, Joel Perea-Duenas, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for contempt of court. The sentencing took place on January 31, 2025, following his guilty plea on July 30, 2024.
The case dates back to June 23, 2020, when Perea-Duenas agreed to be the getaway driver for a drive-by shooting. Although the initial target was abandoned due to law enforcement presence, he suggested an alternative target—a home occupied by seven people including children. One of the gunmen fired multiple shots at this house. Perea-Duenas admitted knowing about the planned shooting and its potential consequences.
On November 19, 2021, he pled guilty to two counts of being a drug user in possession of a firearm and received a four-year federal prison sentence. During the sentencing of an accomplice on October 27, 2022, Perea-Duenas refused to testify despite being sworn in by a district court judge. He persisted in his refusal even after being advised that he had no lawful right to do so.
Following his release from prison on November 20, 2023, he was re-arrested and charged with contempt of court while still serving time for the firearms charge. Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced him again on January 31, highlighting that this was an unprecedented refusal in his career and warranted severe punishment as a deterrent.
United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax emphasized: “refusals to testify, like refusals of court orders generally, strike at the very heart of the American justice system and the rule of law."
Perea-Duenas remains in custody until transfer arrangements are made to a federal prison. The investigation was conducted by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.