Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark pleaded not guilty Monday in Los Angeles to two counts of possession of an assault weapon, specifically a KELTEC SUB-2000 assault rifle and an UZI submachine gun, a Los Angeles Country District Attorney spokesman on Tuesday told The Star.
The pleas are for incidents that occurred on March 13, 2021, and June 20, 2021, after police officers in Los Angeles found weapons inside a vehicle in which Clark was traveling.
According to the L.A. Country District Attorney’s office, Clark is due back in court on Jan. 17 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.
If convicted, Clark could face up to three years of imprisonment. The L.A. County District Attorney’s office, however, told The Star that it has not yet determined what sentence it will seek in Clark’s case. The determination will be made after admissible evidence is presented in court and the country prosecutors have the opportunity to consider all mitigating and aggravating circumstances.
The charges stem from a March 13 incident, when Clark and another man were pulled over because the vehicle in which they were traveling did not display a front license plate, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officers noticed the muzzle of a firearm in a bag in the back seat and recovered two loaded guns — one rifle and one handgun — from the vehicle, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office charged Clark in July with one felony count of possession of an assault weapon.
In a second incident, Clark on June 20 was pulled over for a vehicle code violation in Los Angeles, at which point officers noticed a firearm sticking out from a bag in his vehicle, according to the L.A. Police Department.
Earlier this month, Clark deflected a question about his legal status during a media briefing.
“I was advised not to speak on it until further notice, but my legal team is taking care of everything,” Clark said. “I have full confidence in everything that they’re doing.”
Clark is in his third year with the Chiefs. The team signed him to a five-year, $104 million contract in April 2019 after trading a first-round and a second-round pick to Seattle to acquire him. The deal includes $63.5 million in guaranteed money.
His contract includes a cap charge of $25.8 million in 2021.
In 2014, Clark was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence and assault and dismissed from the Michigan football team after an alleged altercation with his girlfriend in a Sandusky, Ohio, hotel. The charges were reduced to fourth-degree persistent disorderly conduct, with Clark completing a 25-week domestic violence course.
