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APD top 5 fugitive Marcus Molden pleads guilty in federal court

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
FOX 5 Atlanta
Atlanta
Published June 4, 2026 4:09 PM EDT
Published June 4, 2026 4:09 PM EDT

The Brief

    • An Atlanta Police Department top five fugitive pleaded guilty to a federal firearm charge after being captured by local and federal law enforcement.
    • Marcus Lydell Molden, Jr., 25, faces federal sentencing in September after officers found a fully automatic converted pistol during a traffic stop.
    • The convicted felon also faces separate violent crime and gang-related charges in Fulton County from his criminal activity.

ATLANTA - An Atlanta man who climbed to the top of the city's most wanted list is headed to federal prison after pleading guilty to a firearm charge.

Atlanta federal court case

What we know:

Marcus Lydell Molden, Jr., 25, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon following a coordinated law enforcement investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Molden, also known as Meat, was listed as one of the Atlanta Police Department's top five most wanted fugitives in the summer of 2025.

Federal and local officers captured him in July 2025 after watching him get into the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gun tucked into his waistband. During the traffic stop, officers discovered a black Glock pistol hidden under his seat. The weapon featured an extended magazine designed to hold up to 22 rounds and was modified with a machinegun conversion device to fire fully automatically.

Pending Georgia gang charges

What we don't know:

While Molden admitted to the federal weapons charge, officials have not yet confirmed the trial dates or outcomes for his separate state-level offenses. Molden still faces multiple charges in Fulton County for various violent crimes and gang-related offenses. Under the law, he is presumed innocent of these pending state charges until proven guilty at trial.

Severe legal consequences

What they're saying:

"A convicted felon several times over, Marcus Molden was strictly prohibited from possessing any firearm, let alone an illegally converted machinegun with an extended magazine," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. Law enforcement officials emphasized that capturing Molden immediately removed a major threat from local neighborhoods.

"Getting Marcus Molden off the streets was a priority for the Atlanta Police Department because of the danger he posed to our community," Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd added that violent offenders must understand there are serious consequences for illegal firearm possession.

Upcoming federal sentencing

What's next:

Molden is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 15 at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, which detailed the court proceedings and statements from federal prosecutors, the ATF, and the Atlanta Police Department.

AtlantaNewsCrime and Public Safety