A Nebraska woman has been sentenced to 15 months in jail after authorities said she used her teenage daughter as a drug courier for years, sending the girl on dozens of unpaid deliveries across Nebraska and South Dakota.
Court records show Shantell Perkins, 36, was sentenced Monday after entering a no contest plea last fall to an amended child abuse charge. Prosecutors said Perkins exploited her daughter’s obedience and fear to keep a steady flow of prescription drugs moving.
The case came to light in May 2025, when the teen disclosed the situation to her therapist. According to an arrest affidavit, the girl said her mother had been forcing her to deliver drugs since at least 2018. The therapist reported the allegations to authorities.
The teen told investigators she made at least 50 deliveries in multiple communities across Nebraska and South Dakota. She said she never received money and was instead pressured with promises of gifts or threatened with punishment if she refused.
Authorities said the drugs included prescription pills such as hydrocodone, OxyContin, morphine, and Xanax.
Perkins lived with the teen and two other children at a home in Benedict. All three children were removed from her custody after the investigation began.
During interviews, the children described a household dominated by drug use. Deputies said the kids told them Perkins regularly consumed pills and would often be found unconscious when they returned home. She allegedly explained these episodes by claiming she had suffered seizures.
One child told investigators they begged Perkins not to take pills while they were home alone, fearing “they might find her dead,” according to the affidavit.
Perkins pleaded no contest in November 2025. Other charges, including using a minor to distribute controlled substances, were dropped as part of the plea agreement. The 15-month sentence includes credit for time already served.
A second defendant, Terry Threlkeld, 62, was also charged in connection with the case. Threlkeld entered a no contest plea to child abuse and was sentenced Monday to 90 days in jail and three years of probation.
Prosecutors dismissed or dropped charges against Threlkeld that included using a minor to distribute drugs, drug distribution, and failure to report child abuse.
Authorities said the case underscores how vulnerable children can be exploited inside their own homes—and how a single disclosure to a trusted adult can unravel years of abuse.
