PENSACOLA, FLORIDA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Derek Samuel James Hunter, 37, of Pensacola, Florida was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to a possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, in October 2024, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services responded to a possible shooting in Penscaola. At the scene, Hunter was found in possession of a loaded semiautomatic handgun. Hunter has prior felony convictions for Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding work of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the investigative assistance provided by our federal law enforcement partners, this violent felon has been taken off our streets and put back behind bars where he belongs. My office will not hesitate to aggressively prosecute these crimes to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals who have victimized our communities for too long.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
