Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Jacksonville, Fla. — U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Shawntae Jamell Clark, 45, of Clay County, to 10 years and five months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Clark to forfeit two firearms, ammunition and cash traceable to his offenses. He was arrested on July 6, 2022, and ordered detained. Clark pleaded guilty on Aug. 21.

According to court documents, deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were investigating Clark based on reports that he was selling drugs, including methamphetamine, out of a hotel room at the Stay Suites on Wells Road in Clay County. On July 2, 2021, deputies observed Clark leaving his hotel room with a backpack and getting into a car. During a subsequent traffic stop of the vehicle, a CCSO canine alerted to the car, indicating that it contained illegal narcotics. A subsequent search of the car revealed a small safe containing a loaded Beretta pistol and Taurus revolver, 7 baggies of methamphetamine and approximately 100 small baggies. Further investigation determined that the total weight of the methamphetamine was approximately 159 grams, and that Clark had multiple prior felony convictions for armed robbery, attempted lewd or lascivious act – sexual battery and multiple convictions for possession of cocaine. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.  

On Sept 25, Judge Howard sentenced a related defendant, David Lee Rucker, 35, of Clay County, to six years and eight months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court also ordered Rucker to forfeit a firearm and ammunition. Rucker had pleaded guilty on May 19, 2022.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and CCSO. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mai Tran.

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. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

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