Federal grand jury indicts Springfield business owner for illegal firearms

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) – A federal grand jury indicted a Springfield, Mo., business owner for illegally possessing eight firearms and for lying about his criminal record when he purchased two of those firearms.

Marco Lorimer Denis, 49, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Denis on July 26, 2024, and includes two additional charges related to firearms purchases.

Denis owns Springfield Property LLC, a company that provides retail and commercial rental space, including at Plaza Towers in Springfield.

The indictment alleges that Denis was in possession of a Standard Manufacturing shotgun, a Maverick by Mossberg shotgun, a Ruger pistol, a Smith & Wesson pistol, a Canik pistol, a Sig Sauer pistol, a Bersa pistol, and a Charter Arms revolver between Dec. 17, 2020, and July 16, 2024. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to be in possession of a firearm. Denis has a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault committed against a person with whom he shared a child in common.

Denis is also charged with two counts of making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of the Canik pistol on Dec. 10, 2020, and the Sig Sauer pistol on Jan. 14, 2021. In each instance, the indictment says, Denis reported that he had never been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, which he knew to be false.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department investigated it.

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