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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
