A Tulsa man has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after being convicted by a jury for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge John D. Russell also ordered three years of supervised release for Prophet Kelly Lamar Clark, 53.
The case began when Tulsa Police responded to a 911 call about an armed suspect. Officers located Clark walking away from the caller’s home while on the phone, holding keys and a loaded magazine. When asked if he had a weapon, Clark did not respond initially. As officers handcuffed him, they noted the magazine and again questioned him about possessing a firearm. Clark replied “right,” indicating the weapon was on his right side, where police recovered a purple handgun.
Authorities confirmed that Clark had previous felony convictions. In 2010, he pled guilty in state court to felony possession of a controlled drug, driving without a license, and improper tail lamps. His five-year deferred sentence was later converted to probation following conviction in 2011.
Clark was detained at sentencing pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Richard and Jessica Wright prosecuted the case.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” said officials in the announcement. “On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.” More information about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
