Springfield CPA pleads guilty to embezzlement scheme

A Springfield certified public accountant has pleaded guilty to an embezzlement scheme to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ray Leonard Marple, 61, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to federal information that charges him with a count each of wire fraud and making a false federal tax return, according to a news release from the office of Teresa Moore, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Marple admitted to embezzling $432,981 from a revocable trust account following the death of the grantor. The activity took place from July 7, 2017, through May 3, 2023.

According to Moore's office, Marple used withdrawals from the trust fund under his control for personal expenses, including a residential property in Springfield. The plea agreement indicates Marple would have been entitled to trustee fees of around $17,500 during the period of the criminal activity.

Marple, who has operated his own accounting firm since 1999, additionally admitted to underreporting his income on his 2018-20 federal tax returns. He reportedly owes $59,622 in federal income taxes.

The plea agreement's terms stipulate that Marple must pay up to $415,481 in restitution to the trust and at least $59,622 in restitution to the IRS, according to the release. He also must forfeit to the government a money judgment of $415,481 and his Springfield residential property.

A sentencing hearing is slated to be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. Federal statutes indicate he could be subject to up to 23 years in federal prison without parole.