COLUMBUS, GA (WRBL/WBTW) – Columbus attorney Mark Jones turned himself into Columbus police Wednesday.
Jones was wanted in connection to what police are calling damage to government property involving a campaign video shoot in the Columbus Civic Center parking lot.
Jones is facing two charges of criminal damage to property in the first degree and two charges of interference to government property. Both are felonies.
Jones has retained attorney Chris Breault to represent him in the matter. Breault posted on his Facebook page that Jones was turning himself in to authorities.
“After closely examining the facts and evidence, it is clear that the charges involved in this case are FABRICATED,” Breault posted in part. “A false narrative is being pushed by some in the mainstream media and their friends in the legal community. It comes 13 days before the contested election for District Attorney of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit. Mr. Jones is being arrested and charged with FELONIES (allegedly) because a car in the Civic Center parking lot did some donuts AFTER the video shoot for a positive-message hip hop song that was created for the purpose of motivating younger people to engage in the Democratic process.”
Jones is on the June 9 Democratic ballot challenging incumbent Muscogee County District Attorney Julia Slater.
On May 17, candidate Jones organized the filming and uploading of a rap music video called “Get Out and Vote” which depicted two cars burning rubber while cutting doughnuts in the parking lot of the Civic Center, according to police.
The two who participated in the video, Christopher Mandel Black, 23, and Erik Deangelo Whittington, 24, were taken into custody on May 22, five days after the video was released.
Earlier reports say that Jones had not applied or received a permit to film the video. In a video on Facebook, Jones accused current district attorney Julia Slater, his opponent in the election, of using the charges for “voter suppression.” Jones says Slater could get the two men out of jail “with a pen stroke” in the video.