FEDERAL FELON SENTENCED FOR ESCAPE

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Derek Somerset, 46, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to escape from the custody of the Attorney General and the Attorney General's authorized representative. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "I appreciate the excellent work of the U.S. Marshals Service, in collaboration with our local law enforcement partners, to locate this fugitive and return him to federal custody. This successful prosecution reflects my office's steadfast resolve to keep our communities safe from criminals like this defendant who have no regard for the law."

Court documents reflect that on October 15, 2024, Somerset was furloughed from the Federal Correctional Institute at Hazelton, where he was serving a 48-month sentence after being convicted of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Somerset was to report to a residential re-entry facility in Tallahassee to complete his sentence. Somerset, though, failed to report and was found a little over two months later in a motel parking lot, overdosing on fentanyl.

"This case demonstrates the successful collaboration of federal and local law enforcement partners working together to ensure a safer community," said Acting U.S. Marshal Greg Leljedal. "Thanks to the dedication of all involved, Somerset is now back in prison to serve an additional term of incarceration."

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch

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 FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.