Lincoln man gets five years on drug and weapon charges

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A 27-year-old Lincoln man was sentenced Friday to five years in prison on federal drug and weapon charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday that Perrion Bluford will serve time for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard also ordered him to spend three years on supervised release after prison.

The case began after the Lincoln Police Department discovered that Bluford was advertising illegal drugs on social media.

Officers searched his apartment in January 2021 and found 79 suspected ecstasy pills, 3.2 pounds of suspected marijuana and some prescription medications.

Investigators also found a pistol loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition, more than $8,000 in cash and other items they thought were “consistent with the distribution of illegal drugs,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

But when the drugs were tested, only some of the suspected marijuana turned out to be real. Authorities said dealers sometimes rip off customers by selling fake drugs.

The charges were dismissed in July 2021, at the request of prosecutors.

But police kept their eye on Bluford.

They approached him on Nov. 2, 2022, as he was leaving a barbershop.

Bluford ran off, ditching a handgun and a loaded magazine as he fled.

When officers caught up to him, they found 7 grams of suspected marijuana in his pocket. That marijuana was real.

Bluford was charged again for both the 2021 and 2022 offenses.

He pleaded guilty on July 27.