Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
A St. Augustine man, Derrick Walden, has been sentenced to five years and six months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. United States District Judge Wendy D. Berger handed down the sentence following Walden's guilty plea on August 2, 2024.
Court documents reveal that law enforcement executed a search warrant at Walden’s residence on January 18, 2024, during an ongoing narcotics investigation. Officers discovered a loaded semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine in his bedroom. Walden admitted to acquiring the weapon from the "street." Authorities also confiscated multiple rounds of ammunition, a Kevlar bullet-resistant vest, and drug paraphernalia from the premises. Due to his extensive criminal history, including at least seven felony convictions, Walden is legally barred from possessing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro prosecuted the case.
This sentencing falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by uniting various levels of law enforcement with communities. The Department enhanced its violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, emphasizing trust-building within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
