GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Derek Somerset, a 46-year-old Tallahassee native, has pleaded guilty in federal court to escaping the clutches of justice. The plea came on Friday, August 22, 2025, marking the culmination of a relentless pursuit by law enforcement.
Somerset was serving a 48-month sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm when he vanished during his furlough. His intended destination was a residential re-entry facility in Tallahassee. Instead, he skipped town and landed in a motel parking lot overdosed on fentanyl.
United States Attorney John P. Heekin, representing the Northern District of Florida, hailed local law enforcement for their relentless pursuit of Somerset. ‘I commend the efforts of our local law enforcement partners,’ said Heekin, ‘working with the U.S. Marshal’s office to get this violent felon off our streets and back in federal custody.’
Court documents reveal that Somerset was furloughed from federal prison on October 15, 2024. He was expected to report for re-entry the following day but failed to do so. He was discovered two months later, a broken man overdosing on fentanyl.
Somerset faces up to five years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release when he is sentenced. The joint investigation into his escape was carried out by the Tallahassee Police Department and the United States Marshal’s Service. Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch is handling the prosecution.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, under the direction of the Attorney General, is responsible for litigating cases in this region. For more information or to access public court documents online, visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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