WCDA Secures Habitual Criminal Sentence

Defendant Had 12 Prior Felony Convictions

Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks has announced that Marquez Clark (dob 12/28/85) - aka Jason Moore – has been sentenced as a habitual criminal following three separate cases. 

Clark was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after a minimum of 10 years has been served following his pleas of guilty to charges of Sex Trafficking of an Adult, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery. Clark had 12 prior felony convictions, including Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Sale of a Controlled Substance, and Burglary.

In August of 2022, Reno Police detectives with the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Team (HEAT) had received multiple tips that the defendant was involved in violently trafficking multiple females.

Near the end of August, Clark was arrested for Felon in Possession of a Firearm, after Reno Police responded to a local casino following a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. When officers responded, they found Clark with a pistol in his front pocket.

Subsequent jail calls from the defendant showed several instances where he was continuing to coerce and threaten the victim to engage in prostitution.

In July of last year, HEAT detective received a report that in November of 2022, Clark had robbed a woman of her cell phone and that he had battered her to get it. Video surveillance showed the incident, with the victim walking toward an elevator with her phone and a drink. Shortly after, the victim was pushed out of the elevator that Clark was in. Video also showed Clark striking the woman multiple times. The defendant was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery.

During sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Darcy Cameron argued that the defendant’s nearly 20-year criminal history had no significant breaks in criminal behavior and that a lengthy prison term was the only way to protect the community from his unrelenting criminal conduct. The fact that the defendant had progressed from selling drugs to selling women further warranted the significant prison term.

The Honorable Judge Lynne Jones presided and imposed the sentence.