A man from St. Augustine has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally having a gun, with a judge giving him more than five years behind bars. Derrick Walden, aged 42, got a sentence of five years and six months after pleading guilty to firearm possession as a felon, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
The investigation that led to Walden's arrest was part of a larger narcotics probe. Law enforcement agents, during a search of Walden’s home on January 18, 2024, discovered a loaded semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine in his bedroom. In his admission, Walden said he bought the weapon on the "street," as mentioned in the U.S. Attorney's Office website. Along with the gun, the search also yielded ammunition, a Kevlar bulletproof vest, and drug paraphernalia.
United States District Judge Wendy D. Berger handed down the sentence to Walden, whose criminal history includes at least seven felony convictions, which under law, bars him from owning firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office led the investigation with Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro prosecuting the case.
Walden's conviction ties into Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. PSN represents a collaboration among law enforcement at all levels and the communities they serve, striving to make neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to the Department of Justice, their violent crime reduction strategy, launched on May 26, 2021, is all about fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, and supporting community-based organizations that help stop violence before it can happen.
