Clinton J. Johnson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
A Tulsa man has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after being convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Prophet Kelly Lamar Clark, 53, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge John D. Russell and will also serve three years of supervised release.
The conviction followed an incident in which Tulsa Police responded to a 911 call reporting a suspect with a gun. Officers identified Clark based on the physical description provided by the caller. When officers arrived, they observed Clark walking away from the residence while on the phone, holding keys and a loaded magazine.
According to authorities, when asked if he had a weapon, Clark did not respond. As he was being handcuffed, an officer pointed out the magazine in his hand and again asked about any firearms. Clark replied “right,” indicating that the firearm was on his right side. Officers recovered a purple handgun from that location. A records check confirmed that Clark was previously convicted of felony possession of a controlled drug in state court in 2010, along with driving without a license and improper tail lamps; these charges resulted in probation after his deferred sentence was converted to a conviction in 2011.
Clark was detained at sentencing pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) 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 U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. "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." For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
