UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA 

Case No. 22-MJ-8519-BER 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

vs. 

WALTER BROOMS, 

1. 

2. 

Defendant. 

CRIMINAL COVER SHEET 

Did this matter originate from a matter pending in the United States 

Attorney's Office prior to August 9, 2013 (Mag . Judge Alicia Valle)? 

Yes X No ---

Did this matter originate from a matter pending in the Northern Region of the 

United States Attorney's Office prior to August 8, 2014 (Mag . Judge Shaniek 

Maynard)? __ Yes X No 

Respectfully submitted , 

JUAN ANTONIO GONZALEZ 

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY 

By: LCl¥evTv~GCNt~ 

Lara Treinis Gatz 

Assistant United States Attorney 

Southern District of Florida 

Court ID No. A5502857 

500 S. Australian Avenue - 4th Floor 

West Palm Beach, Florida 22401 

lara.gatz@usdoj.gov 

(561) 209-1069 

Case 9:22-cr-80189-RLR Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/18/2022 Page 1 of 8
AO 91 (Rev. 11 / 11) Criminal Complaint 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

for the 

Southern District of Florida [:] 

United States of America 

V. 

WALTER BROOMS, Case No. 

22-MJ-8519-BER 

Defendant(s) 

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT 

I, the complainant in this case, state that the following is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. 

On or about the date(s) of June 24, 2022 in the county of Palm Beach in the 

Southern District of ____ F_lo_ri_d_a ___ , the defendant(s) violated: 

Code Section Offense Description 

18 USC 922(9) Felon in Possession of a Firearm 

This criminal complaint is based on these facts: 

SEE ATTACHED AFFIDAVIT 

tief Continued on the attached sheet. 

SA DANIEL J. SZCZEPANSKI , FBI 

Printed name and title 

Sworn to before me and signed in my presence. 

Date: 11 /1 8/2022 ~ Judge ·s signature 

Ci ty and state: West Palm Beach .Florida BRUCE E. REINHART, USMJ 

Printed name and title 

TM Nov 18, 2022 West Palm Beach

Case 9:22-cr-80189-RLR Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/18/2022 Page 2 of 8
LTG 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHER DISTRICT OF FLORIDA 

-- - -------- -- - -- - --- - -- --- - --x 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

COMPLAINT 

- against -

Case No. 22-MJ-8519-BER 

WALTER BROOMS, 

Defendant. 

- - -- - - -- - - - --- -- -- -- - ------ - --x 

I, DANIEL J. SZCZEPANSKI, being duly sworn, deposes and states: 

INTRODUCTION 

1. I am a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") duly 

appointed according to law and acting as such. I am currently assigned to the Violent Crimes 

and Major Offender Squad of the Palm Beach County Resident Agency and have been since 

January 2006. 

2. The facts contained in this affidavit are based in part on my first-hand 

knowledge, and in part on information obtained from other law enforcement personnel, reports 

prepared by other law enforcement personnel, criminal history repo11s and statements made by 

the defendant. Because this affidavit is being submitted for the limited purpose of 

establishing probable cause in support of this criminal Complaint, it does not include all facts 

known to me or to other law enforcement officers regarding this investigation. 

PROBABLE CAUSE 

3. On June 24, 2022, state and federal law enforcement were at present at 14543 

Horseshoe Trace, We llington, Florida, (the "Residence") to execute a federal search warra nt of the 

Residence. The defendant WALTER BROOMS, alo ng with others, was found inside of the 

Case 9:22-cr-80189-RLR Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/18/2022 Page 3 of 8
Residence, removed from the Residence and then detained while the search was underway. 

During the search, the defendant BROOMS asked Your Affiant, in sum and substance, ifhe would 

be able to get his property from inside of the Residence. Your Affiant inquired which property 

defendant BROOMS was referring to, and defendant BROOMS replied, in sums and substance, 

the Adidas bag that's in the middle room (the Bag"). Defendant BROOMS further indicated that 

the Bag contained keys, airpods and a wallet. Your Affiant went back into the house to the room 

described by the defendant BROOMS and learned that the Bag had been searched during the 

execution of the search warrant and that a firearm had been discovered in the Bag. The firearm 

was determined to be a Glock Model 20 semi-auto pistol (the "Glock"), with a loaded magazine 

and one live round in the chamber. 

4. Your Affiant then took a photograph of the Bag (not the one pictured above) 

and showed it to the defendant BROOMS who identified the Bag as his. Defendant Brooms 

was asked about the firearm inside of the Bag and defendant BROOMS indicated that the gun 

was his, was "clean" and that he got it from a friend, but would not provide that person's name. 

2 

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Your affiant asked defendant BROOME if he was a convicted felon and he responded no. 

Defendant Brooms then elaborated by saying that he was recently released from jail after being 

acquitted in a murder case. 

5. Then, I conducted a records check to ascertain if defendant BROOMS had any 

felony convictions. A review of the defendant BROOMS criminal history at that time did not 

reveal any felony convictions, as such, BROOMS was released. 

6. Recently, I have learned that, on the day the search warrant was executed, the 

defendant was in Court before coming to the Residence and while in Court pied guilty to a 

felony charge. More particulatly, on June 24, 2022 , at approximately 8:30 a.m. , the defendant 

BROOMS was in Circuit Court of the 15th Judicual Circuit where he was sworn in, advised of 

his rights and then pied guilty to the charge of Introduction of Contraband into a Facility - a 

3rd Degree Felony. lmmeditely after the plea, the defendant BROOMS was adjudicated a 

felon, rending him a prohibited person from possessing a firearm. 

7. Finally, an expert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 

Explosives ("ATF") who has received extensive training in the manufacture of firearms and 

ammunition determined that the Glock was manufactured outside the State of Florida, and 

therefore traveled in and affected interstate and/or foreign commerce 

CONCLUSIO 

8. Based on the foregoing, I submit that there is probable cause to believe that the 

defendant knowing that he had been previously convicted in a court of a crime punishable by 

3 

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a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, did knowingly and intentionally possess in and 

affecting interstate or foreign commerce a firearm. 

FURTHER YOUR AFFIANT SAITH NAUGHT. 

f__ 

DA EL J. SZ ZEPANSKI 

SPECIAL AGENT 

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 

S~~this !8''dayof 

BRUCE E. REINHART 

UNITED ST A TES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

4 

ovember 2022 

Case 9:22-cr-80189-RLR Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/18/2022 Page 6 of 8
U ITED ST ATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHER DISTRICT OF FLORIDA 

PENAL TY SHEET 

Defendant's Name: WALTER BROOMS 

Docket No: 22-MJ-8619-BER 

Charge: Felon in Possession of a Firearm - Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g) 

*Max. Penalty: 10 Years' Incarceration, 3 years Supervised Release, $100 Special Assessment 

*Refers only to possible term of incarceration , fines, special assessments, does not include 

possible restitution, parole terms, or forfeitures that may be applicable. 

Case 9:22-cr-80189-RLR Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/18/2022 Page 7 of 8
UNITED ST ATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA 

Case Number: 22-MJ-8519-BER 

BOND RECOMMENDATION 

DEFENDANT: WALTER BROOMS 

PRETRIAL DETENTION 

(Personal Surety)(Corporate Surety) (Cash) (Pretrial Detention) 

By: LCUtevTv~Gctt:~ 

LARA TREfNIS GATZ 

ASS ISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY 

Last Known Address: t 

What Fac il ity: 

Agent(s): FBf SA DAN IEL J. SZCZEPANSKI 

(FBI)(SECRET SERVICE)(DEA)(IRS)(ICE)(OTHER) 

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