Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Derry Wayne Lambert (52, Belleview) with false impersonation of a federal officer. If convicted, Lambert faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2023, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office stopped Lambert who was driving his personally owned truck. The truck had no agency insignia, but was equipped with red and blue flashing lights, a Public Address (PA) system, and an audible siren. A firearm was later recovered from the vehicle’s center console. Lambert, who was wearing a hat with the phrase “Police U. S Marshal,” explained to the deputy that he was with the United States Marshals Service and was investigating gang activity in Marion Oaks. Lambert also presented a false United States Marshals Service badge. A record check showed that Lambert was not a federal law enforcement officer.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Originally published at https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/marion-county-man-charged-impersonating-deputy-united-states-marshal
