PONTIAC, Mich. – A man who was not allowed to possess a gun due to a previous charge was arrested in Oakland County when a weapon seen in his Instagram posts and rap videos was found at the scene of a car chase that ended with a crash.
Case background
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Marcus Dewayne Clark Jr., 21, pleaded guilty in November 2020 to carrying a concealed weapon in Oakland County.
In December 2020, he was sentenced to probation under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, but on Feb. 2, 2021, that status was revoked, which resulted in a conviction for carrying a concealed weapon.
As a result, Clark was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Instagram and YouTube posts
On Oct. 15, 2021, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives reviewed an Instagram profile and determined that it was owned by Clark.
On Aug. 14, 2021, the account posted several images of a Century Arms Draco AK pistol with the caption, “[e]very time shots fire they say they seen us.” The caption also included a link to a YouTube video.
The location of the photos was tagged as “Florida.”
Officials said the pistol had a distinct wooden foregrip with black wear and tear. There was a “US Palm” 30-round magazine inserted into the gun, according to a criminal complaint.
The ATF agent found a rap music video posted on YouTube that showed Clark wearing the same clothes and holding the same gun as in the Instagram photos, according to authorities.
Michigan Secretary of State records revealed that the people seen with Clark in the video lived primarily in Pontiac and Southfield. Two cars in the video had white and blue license plates, consistent with those from Michigan.
On Sept. 1, 2021, the Instagram account posted more images of Clark. He was in possession of what appeared to be the same gun, according to officials.
Another rap music video on YouTube showed Clark wearing the same clothing as in the Sept. 1 Instagram post. He showed his face in the video and was brandishing the same Century Arms Draco AK pistol, authorities said.
Linking Clark to Pontiac apartment complex
An Oakland County detective reviewed the YouTube videos and Instagram images and determined one of the videos had been recorded at the Arbor View Apartments in Pontiac.
The ATF agent compared Clark’s position at the bottom of a staircase in one of the videos to the floor plan of the complex, and it matched, he said.
Police chase after report of shooting
On Sept. 9, 2021, Oakland County deputies were called to the 180 block of Liberty Street in Pontiac on reports of a shooting.
A caller told authorities that the suspected shooter was heading north on Telegraph Road, and shortly afterward, a deputy saw a black Chrysler 200 heading north with its bright headlights on.
Police said the Chrysler passed the deputy, deactivated the headlights, and quickly accelerated. The deputy followed the Chrysler as it reached speeds of 70 mph in residential areas.
The car crashed in the area of Orchard Lake Boulevard and Palmer Street. A man in a mask and all black clothing got out and ran, according to authorities. The deputy chased him on foot, but lost sight.
Clark was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Chrysler, the criminal complaint says. He was detained.
A loaded Century Arms Draco 7.62 x 39 mm AK pistol was found on the ground near the driver’s side of the Chrysler, according to police. It had one round in the chamber and 23 rounds in its “US Palm” 30-round magazine. There was black wear and tear on the grip, officials said.
Clark and a third person were arrested for weapons offenses.
Charge
Clark is accused of posting several images and videos of himself holding a gun from August through September of 2021, when he wasn’t permitted to possess firearms.
The criminal complaint concludes there’s probable cause that Clark knowingly possessed a gun despite having been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year, which affected interstate commerce.