Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm

Gulfport, Miss. – John Wayne Clark, 32, of Biloxi, Mississippi, pled guilty, before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. Clark is a documented Simon City Royal gang member.

On May 7, 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration received a tip that Clark would be transporting methamphetamine. When Clark was pulled over and his car was searched, law enforcement agencies found methamphetamine and a gun, which was hidden in the engine compartment. In April 2016, Clark entered guilty pleas on two previous state drug charges and is currently serving a three-year state sentence.

Clark will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden on March 22, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of a violent crime initiative. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams.