A Cape Girardeau man has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for illegally purchasing firearms that were later found during criminal investigations in Missouri and Illinois. U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. handed down the sentence on Tuesday.
Dayquan Long, 23, will also serve two years of supervised release after his prison term. In September, Long pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of making a false statement during a firearm purchase.
According to court documents, Long bought 19 firearms from two federally licensed dealers between November 3, 2022, and November 27, 2024. Each time, he filled out a form stating he was the “actual transferee/buyer” and not acquiring the guns for someone else. He signed the form acknowledging he understood “that the repetitive purchase of firearms for the purpose of resale for livelihood and profit without a federal firearms license is a violation of federal law.”
The plea agreement states that guns sold by Long were later recovered during criminal investigations in Kansas City, Sweet Springs, Springfield, and Cape Girardeau in Missouri as well as Overland Park, Kansas. On February 5, 2025, Long told an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that he sold the guns for profits ranging from $100 to $200 each.
The ATF led the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which brings together law enforcement at all levels with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021 that focuses on building trust within communities, supporting organizations that work to prevent violence before it starts, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
