FLORIDA – A Florida man’s alleged DIY law enforcement vehicle and fake badge has led to the return of an indictment charging him with impersonating a deputy United States Marshal.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging Derry Wayne Lambert, 52, of Belleview, with false impersonation of a federal officer. If convicted, Lambert faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2023, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped Lambert, who was driving his personally owned truck. The truck had no agency insignia but was reportedly equipped with red and blue flashing lights, a public address (PA) system, and an audible siren.
A firearm was allegedly recovered from the vehicle’s center console.
Lambert, who was reportedly wearing a hat with the phrase “Police U. S Marshal,” allegedly told the deputy that he was with the United States Marshals Service and was investigating gang activity in Marion Oaks. Lambert also is said to have presented a false United States Marshals Service badge.
A record check showed that Lambert was not a federal law enforcement officer, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
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. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg will prosecute it.
