YORK COUNTY, Neb. — A Nebraska woman has been sentenced to 15 months in jail after authorities said she used her teenage daughter to deliver drugs over a period of several years.
Shantell Perkins, 36, was sentenced Monday after entering a no contest plea in November 2025 to an amended charge of child abuse. Court records show that other charges, including using a minor to distribute controlled substances, were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
According to an arrest affidavit, the case came to light in May 2025 when the teen disclosed to her therapist that her mother had forced her to make drug deliveries since at least 2018. The therapist reported the allegations to authorities. The teen told investigators she made at least 50 deliveries across communities in Nebraska and South Dakota and was never paid.
Investigators said Perkins persuaded her daughter with promises of gifts and, at times, threatened punishment if she refused. The teen also described physical abuse, alleging arguments with her mother sometimes turned violent.
Authorities removed all three children from Perkins’ custody. During interviews, the children told deputies Perkins regularly used prescription drugs, including hydrocodone, OxyContin, morphine, and Xanax. Police records show officers had been called to the home multiple times since 2022.
A second defendant, 62-year-old Terry Threlkeld, was also charged in the case. Threlkeld entered a no contest plea to child abuse and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years of probation. Other charges against him were dismissed.
Perkins received credit for time already served as part of her sentence.
