Armed Career Criminal Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison

Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Perry Ivory Wims (39, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wims entered a guilty plea in August 2024.

According to court records, the Tampa Police Department (TPD) learned that Wims was selling fentanyl out of his motel room in Tampa and obtained a search warrant for the room. Prior to the execution of the warrant, officers observed Wims point a firearm at individuals in the motel parking lot. Inside the motel room, officers located fentanyl, cocaine, two firearms, ammunition, and a drum magazine.

Wims previously served a 15-year federal sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He completed serving that sentence less than three months before his arrest in this matter. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Sullivan and James A. Muench.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.