Defendant Letter to the Court — United States v. Derek James Acree (S.D. Fla.)

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U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida · No. 9:22-cr-80157-AHS · Doc. 26-1 · 2023-01-03 · Docket on CourtListener

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January 1, 2023 
 
 
 
Your Honor: 
 
I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you my thoughts and feelings about the 
last couple years of my life.  
 
First and foremost, I am eternally remorseful for my involvement in the matters for which 
we are here today discussing. A convergence of events led me to violate my faith, 
judgment, duties as a proud American citizen and responsibilities as an officer of the 
court. No one forced me to participate in these actions and I accept full responsibility for 
them. In so sinning, I have disgraced my father’s long standing career in the law 
enforcement community and my professional career and reputation.  
 
In engaging in these illegal actions, I have also shamed my immediate and indirect 
family. My wife has suffered immense emotional distress because of my wrongdoings 
and this has caused an irreparable strain on our long standing marriage. She is an amazing 
friend, women and mother and she deserved and deserves better from me. She has been a 
stay at home mother for over a decade and is now faced with being a single working 
mother to our 11 year old son. My actions here in addition to being criminal were selfish 
and I failed to comprehend the implications to the ones I love. 
 
Most importantly to me personally, is this impact my illegal actions have and will 
continue to have on my son. He is 11 and is my everything. I endured a challenging 
upbringing and nothing in life has brought me greater joy than being his dad.  Breaking 
the patterns of physical, sexual and now alcohol abuse that I faced, means the world to 
me. I love being with him and watching him mature.  He is my reason for living and if it 
weren’t for him I probably not be here today because of the enormous disgrace I feel for 
my sin and the harm I have caused others. 
 
Through this process, I became aware of the power that alcohol has had over my life  and 
thankfully Mr. Roth diligently continued his efforts to strongly suggest that I seek 
counseling on this matter. I resisted his pleadings for almost a year but he never gave up 
on  me and for that I am extremely grateful. Alcohol has been a substantial part of my 
entire life and became my entire life at the beginning of 2020. As the product of two 
alcoholics who both died from their alcoholism I was blind to the day in and day out 
Case 9:22-cr-80157-AHS   Document 26-1   Entered on FLSD Docket 01/03/2023   Page 1 of 2

effects my alcohol abuse had on my life and those around me. The slow perpetual 
impairment of my judgment personally and professionally led to me being someone other 
than myself. The best and worst words I’ve ever heard were my son telling me that he 
was proud of me for stopping drinking as I was back to being myself. This from an 11 
year old boy who is my everything. It pains me beyond belief to realize I was making him 
go through what I went through as a child. Even after hearing this from my son, getting 
and staying sober is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and each and every day 
is a substantial challenge. 
 
I accept full responsibility for all of my actions in this matter and accept the associated 
present and future consequences. My love of my son and the intervention of Mr. Roth 
and his team of experts to treat my severe alcoholism, now allows me to have the faith, 
wisdom and desire to fully atone for my sins.  My one sincere plea is that you return me 
home to my family as early as you deem appropriate so that we may begin to heal as a 
family and that I may be there for my son as he enters his formative teenage years. 
 
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. 
 
With utmost respect and heartfelt remorse, 
 
 
 
 
Derek Acree 
 
Case 9:22-cr-80157-AHS   Document 26-1   Entered on FLSD Docket 01/03/2023   Page 2 of 2

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