A federal jury has convicted Terrence Denard Perkins, 45, of Sanford, Florida, on charges including possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Perkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and could receive up to life imprisonment. Sentencing is set for February 4, 2026. He was indicted on January 8, 2025.
The conviction follows evidence presented at trial regarding events on January 9, 2024. Law enforcement executed a narcotics search warrant at the residence of Perkins’ elderly stepfather in Sanford. Inside the home, agents found an electronic money counter and multiple firearms—including revolvers in bedrooms and a loaded AR-15 rifle hidden behind a sofa cushion.
In the carport area outside the house, officers discovered bags containing cocaine as well as equipment used for cutting, packaging, and distributing drugs. On the hood of Perkins’ Corvette next to this station were another loaded AR-15 rifle and a MAC-10 handgun wrapped in a t-shirt.
Further searches uncovered more evidence: two broken-down cars in the backyard contained what authorities described as Perkins’ cocaine inventory—18 vacuum-sealed kilogram bricks—alongside additional firearms such as AR-15s, handguns, an AK-47 rifle, a machine gun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Prosecutors relied on financial records, DNA results from seized items, surveillance videos from inside the stash house, and social media posts by Perkins to link him directly to the drug trafficking operation. The government is moving to forfeit all firearms and ammunition involved.
Perkins has seven prior felony convictions that include conspiracy to traffic cocaine and possessing firearms as a felon; these prohibit him from legally possessing any firearm or ammunition under federal law.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) together with Seminole County Sheriff’s Office’s City County Investigative Bureau (CCIB), assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Varadan and Michael P. Felicetta prosecuted the case; Jennifer M. Harrington is handling forfeiture proceedings.
The prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates efforts among law enforcement agencies at various levels along with community organizations to reduce violent crime and gun violence across neighborhoods nationwide. The Department’s strategy for PSN emphasizes building trust within communities while supporting groups that work toward preventing violence before it occurs through focused enforcement priorities.
