Clark was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for felony arson and was ordered to pay full restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ).
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
June 2, 2021
Madison, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, Marquon Clark, 26, aka, "Sire", known as a Black social justice, revolutionary and anti-capialist activist was sentenced to 7 years in a federal prison and was ordered to pay full restitution by federal Judge James D. Peterson in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin after pleading guilty for arson.
According to the federal indictment, on June 24, 2020, Clark threw projectiles through windows of the City-County Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Madison and then threw a lit roll of paper towels through the broken windows. The building, which houses city and county government offices, which were occupied by over 250 people at the time, including 182 adults and juveniles being held in the jail. Clark's actions led to a fire in the City-County Building that resulted in approximately $105,000 in damages and clean-up costs.
In a press release Wednesday, Timothy M. O'Shea, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin released the following statement, "Legitimate protest is a central Constitutional right and American value. Arson is simply not part of any legitimate protest. This crime endangered the lives of everyone in the City-County building including the minors in juvenile detention. We will work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who engage in such conduct without regard for the potentially deadly consequences."
ATF Special Agent in Charge Terry Henderson, of the St. Paul Field Division stated in the press release, "Arson is inherently dangerous, and we simply cannot allow it in our communities. I hope this sentencing acts as a significant deterrent for others who may consider committing this heinous crime. We are thankful that Clark's criminal actions did not cost anyone their life and that justice can be served in this case."
In imposing the sentence, Judge Peterson noted that Clark's crime was extremely dangerous and created a serious risk of harm to people inside the City-County Building. Judge Peterson also noted that a lengthy prison sentence was warranted in light of Clark's extensive criminal history, which includes two violent crimes. Judge Peterson also ordered Clark to pay restitution in the full amount of damages and clean-up costs at the City-County Building, according to the USDOJ.
The charge against Clark was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Dane County Sheriff's Office; Madison Police Department; and the Madison Fire Investigation Team.
Clark is currently being held at the Oshkosh Correctional Institute in Wisconsin for a state felony conviction and is eligible for release until August of 2029, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
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