A Kansas City man has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Sergio Marquez, 35, received a sentence of 155 months without parole from U.S. Chief District Judge Brian C. Wimes after being found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The incident occurred on December 12, 2024, when officers from the Independence, Missouri Police Department observed a Mercedes vehicle that had been spray-painted black, featured tinted windows, and displayed license tags registered to another vehicle. When police attempted to stop the car for further investigation, the driver fled at high speed westbound on U.S. 24 highway, reaching speeds over 120 miles per hour.
The pursuit ended near the intersection of Independence Avenue and Winner Road when the Mercedes crashed while trying to avoid police-deployed stop-sticks. Officers saw Marquez struggling to exit the vehicle and observed him tossing a Glock 19 semi-automatic handgun under the car while on his hands and knees. Marquez suffered a significant neck injury during the crash; officers provided medical assistance until emergency services arrived. Law enforcement later recovered the firearm he had thrown under the vehicle.
Marquez had previously been convicted of a felony offense, making it illegal under federal law for him to possess any firearm.
“This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford It was investigated by Independence, Mo. Police Department.”
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri manages federal prosecutions and civil litigation across 66 counties in western Missouri with jurisdiction stretching from Iowa to Arkansas borders and maintains offices in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield. The office works with various law enforcement partners at different levels to address issues such as violent crime and drug trafficking (official website).
