A Sanford man is facing a lengthy federal prison sentence after prosecutors say he turned his elderly stepfather’s property into a heavily armed drug operation packed with military-grade weapons and large quantities of cocaine stored inside abandoned vehicles.
Federal prosecutors announced that 45-year-old Terrence Denard Perkins was found guilty by a jury and now faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years behind bars. The conviction follows a raid carried out on January 9, 2024, by the ATF and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
When agents entered the home, they immediately found a loaded AR-15 rifle hidden behind a sofa cushion, along with revolvers stashed in the bedrooms. But investigators say the true scale of the operation was revealed outside.
According to court evidence, the backyard contained a fully functioning cocaine cutting and packaging setup inside the carport. On the hood of Perkins’ Corvette, agents found another loaded AR-15 rifle and a MAC-10 pistol wrapped in a T-shirt.
Investigators then searched two broken-down cars parked on the lawn, which were being used to store inventory. Inside, agents discovered 18 vacuum-sealed kilograms of cocaine, an AK-47, additional AR-15 rifles, a machine gun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Prosecutors presented DNA evidence, financial documents, surveillance footage, and social media posts to link Perkins to the weapons and narcotics. Authorities described the property as a well-equipped hub for a “prolific drug trade.”
Perkins, a seven-time convicted felon with prior charges including trafficking cocaine and fleeing law enforcement, is banned from possessing firearms under federal law.
He was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2026.
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