Auburn Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison After Federal Gun Conviction
Arrested man in handcuffs with handcuffed hands behind back
Montgomery, Alabama – Derek Antoine Hamel, 28 of Auburn, Alabama, was sentenced to 27 months in prison today on Wednesday, May 13.
United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. announced that after Franklin’s sentence he will be on supervised release for three years without parole.
Court records say that on September 11, of last year, Kelley was indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a Ruger, model LC9, 9mm pistol. Because of a previous felony conviction, he was prohibited from possessing the firearm. The allegation in the indictment was based on an encounter Hamel had on September 12, 2018 when Auburn police officers responded to a disturbance call. Hamel pleaded guilty to the charge on February 6, 2020. Related state charges are still pending.
While pronouncing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Emily C. Marks stated that Hamel’s careless possession of the firearm, knowing that he was a convicted felon, showed a lack of respect for the law. She also stated that using the gun during the incident to intimidate others showed a disregard for their safety, as well as his own.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Auburn Police Division investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon Bates and Alice LaCour prosecuted the case.
