SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – A Springfield man was sentenced in federal court on one count of wire fraud and one count of filing false tax returns, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
Ray Leonard Marple, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool to 18 months in federal prison for each count, to be served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. Marple was also ordered to pay $415,481.50 to the victim of his embezzlement and $86,210.84 to the Internal Revenue Service, for a total of $501,692.34 in restitution. A final order of forfeiture for $415,481.50 was also issued.
How the scheme worked
Marple used his position as a certified public accountant to serve as executor of a trust for a family. In that role, he made numerous financial transactions that resulted in the embezzlement of $415,481.50.
Marple also filed false tax returns in 2018, 2019, and 2020, in which he understated the amount of income he earned during those years. As a result, he owes the United States $86,210.84 in unpaid income taxes.
Investigation and prosecution
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation…