Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy D. Berger has sentenced Derrick Walden (42, St. Augustine) to five years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Walden pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024.
According to the court documents, on January 18, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Walden’s residence as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. Inside Walden’s bedroom, resting against his nightstand, was a loaded semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine. When Walden was questioned about the rifle, he admitted that he had purchased it on the “street.” Law enforcement also seized multiple rounds of ammunition, a Kevlar bullet resistant vest, and drug paraphrenia from inside the residence. Walden is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his extensive criminal record, including at least seven felony convictions.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
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.