MOUNT CLEMENS, MI — A Mount Clemens father who prosecutors say owes more than $20,000 in back child support has been formally charged after officials determined he had the ability to pay yet repeatedly refused.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido announced that 33-year-old Mark Oneal was arraigned on a felony charge of failure to pay child support, a crime that carries a potential sentence of up to four years in prison.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the case dates back to February 6, 2017, when Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Matthew S. Switalski ordered Oneal to pay child support. Since then, prosecutors allege Oneal failed to comply and accrued $20,538.55 in unpaid support. Two separate show-cause hearings were held before prosecutors determined that Oneal had the means to pay and that all options to gain compliance were exhausted.
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, Oneal was arraigned in 41B District Court before Magistrate Ryan Zemke, who set bond at $5,134 cash-only. A Probable Cause Conference is scheduled for Monday, November 17, 2025, at 8:30 a.m., before Judge Sebastian Lucido.
Lucido emphasized that child support enforcement is rooted in protecting children, saying:
“As parents, we share a fundamental duty to support our children, not only emotionally, but financially. When a parent fails to meet that obligation, it is the children who suffer most… Enforcing child support orders is not only about accountability, but also about protecting the well-being and future of our community’s children.”
The Prosecutor’s Office is also preparing to launch a Child Support Specialty Court, a pilot program designed to help parents behind on payments obtain work, pay arrears and avoid a felony conviction.
“Our goal is simple: get children the support they’re owed while addressing the barriers that keep parents from paying,” Lucido said. The pilot court is expected to begin operating this month.
Under Lucido’s direction, the Family Division has focused on achieving compliance rather than simply filing charges. The division oversees felony non-support cases involving arrears over $5,000, at least three consecutive months of non-payment, and evidence the parent has the financial means to pay. Since 2022, the division has secured more than $3.2 million in payments from delinquent parents.
Parents needing help starting a child-support case can contact the Office of Child Support at (866) 540-0008.
For cases involving arrears over $5,000, contact the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Family Division at (586) 493-4488. The office can only speak directly with the person who owes or is owed child support.
The Prosecutor’s Office notes that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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