Mercadys A. Perkins, a resident of Weston, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley handed down the sentence and stated that it would be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Perkins pleaded guilty to the charges on January 21, 2025.
The investigation, led by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, began in early 2024 and centered on a group distributing methamphetamine in Marathon County. Perkins was identified as a distributor within this group. During March and April of 2024, Perkins sold methamphetamine to an informant on three occasions, with the largest sale being 230 grams.
On April 16, 2024, officers executed a search warrant at Perkins's residence, uncovering over 300 grams of methamphetamine, cash, drug ledgers, and trafficking paraphernalia. Perkins admitted to trafficking substantial quantities of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that a co-conspirator provided Perkins with 16 pounds of methamphetamine and 6 ounces of cocaine between February and April 2024.
At that time, Perkins was on state probation for a previous methamphetamine possession conviction and was out on bond for other state cases involving methamphetamine trafficking. Judge Conley ordered her federal sentence to run concurrently with her current 2-year state prison sentence.
Judge Conley remarked on Perkins's involvement in distributing significant quantities of methamphetamine, noting her addiction as a mitigating factor. Co-defendants Joshua Lake, Jessica Colby, and Dustin Brunker have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
The charge against Perkins was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, which includes several state and local law enforcement agencies. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force and the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted the case.