MADISON, Wis. — A Madison man was sentenced Wednesday on a federal charge of arson for starting a fire in the City-County Building last summer.
Marquon Clark, 26, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after admitting to the crime, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea’s office. He was charged in federal court in October.
On June 24, 2020, Clark threw projectiles at the City-County Building and tossed a lit roll of paper towels through the broken windows during the civil unrest in downtown Madison.
A news release said the building had been occupied by over 250 people at the time of the attack, including 182 adults and juveniles who were being held in the jail.
Officials said Clark’s actions caused a fire in the building which resulted in roughly $105,000 in damages and clean-up costs.
“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,” said O’Shea. “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.”
The judge said Clark’s prison sentence was also warranted given his criminal history, which included two violent crimes. The release said Clark was ordered to pay restitution in the full amount of damages and clean-up costs.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Madison Police Department and the Madison Fire Investigation Team conducted the investigation which led to the charge against Clark.
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