A Springfield, Missouri business owner has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to firearms possession and filing a false tax return. Marco Lorimer Denis, 50, entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush.
Denis admitted to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm and one count of filing a false tax return. At the time of the offenses, he owned Springfield Property LLC, which offers retail and commercial rental spaces at locations including Plaza Towers in Springfield.
According to court documents, Denis knowingly possessed firearms despite having a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence. In 2003, he was convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault in Greene County Circuit Court. Federal law prohibits individuals with such convictions from owning or possessing firearms.
In December 2012, Denis tried to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer but was denied after a background check flagged his previous conviction. The dealer did not complete the sale.
On July 15 and 16, 2024, during an investigation into domestic violence allegations, officers from the Springfield Police Department searched Denis’s home and vehicle under warrant and found eight firearms in his residence and in the driver’s side door panel of his vehicle.
Denis also acknowledged that he filed a false tax return for 2023 by failing to report $57,391.06 in income from Springfield Property LLC operations. This resulted in an IRS-estimated tax loss of $24,749.
If convicted on both counts, Denis could face up to 15 years in federal prison without parole for unlawful possession of firearms and up to three years for filing a false tax return. Each charge carries a potential fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will occur after completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and Casey Clark are prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Springfield Police Department, and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
