A Missouri accountant entrusted with managing a family’s money instead took more than $415,000 from the trust and used fraud proceeds to help purchase his own home, according to federal prosecutors.
Ray Leonard Marple, 63, of Springfield, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and filing a false federal tax return.
U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool imposed an 18-month sentence on each count, with the terms running concurrently. Marple will also serve three years of supervised release.
He was ordered to pay $415,481.50 to the victim of the embezzlement and $86,210.84 to the IRS, bringing his total restitution to $501,692.34. The court also entered a separate forfeiture order for $415,481.50.
The case grew out of Marple’s control over a family trust, according to the Springfield Daily Citizen. As a certified public accountant entrusted with the money, he was able to make transactions from the trust before diverting funds for himself.
His Legitimate Trustee Fees Would Have Been Less Than $17,500
Marple had operated his own accounting firm since 1999 and assumed responsibility for a revocable trust following the death of the person who established it. The embezzlement occurred from July 7, 2017, through May 3, 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Under the trust arrangement, Marple would have been entitled to less than $2,500 annually in trustee fees. Over seven years, prosecutors calculated that his legitimate compensation would have totaled less than $17,500.
Marple withdrew substantially more money for personal purposes. Federal prosecutors initially described approximately $432,981 as having been taken from the trust. After accounting for the trustee fees he could legitimately have received, the government calculated the fraudulent loss at $415,481.50.
He Also Hid Income From the IRS
Marple admitted using proceeds from the wire-fraud scheme to purchase his residence in Springfield. When he pleaded guilty in April 2024, his plea agreement required him to forfeit his interest in that property as well as a money judgment connected to the fraud proceeds. The final sentencing order imposed forfeiture totaling $415,481.50.
The trust embezzlement was not Marple’s only admitted financial offense. He pleaded guilty to filing a false federal tax return after admitting that he substantially understated his income for 2018, 2019 and 2020.
At the time of his 2024 guilty plea, prosecutors said Marple had failed to report nearly $177,000 in taxable income during those three years. By sentencing, the government calculated that he owed the United States $86,210.84 in unpaid federal income taxes.
He Will Spend 18 Months in Federal Prison
Marple waived his right to indictment by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty in April 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of making a false federal tax return.
Judge Harpool sentenced him to 18 months on each offense, with both terms to be served at the same time rather than consecutively. After leaving prison, Marple will serve three years of supervised release. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation handled the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney prosecuted it.
Trust Beneficiaries Should Not Rely on One Person’s Records Alone
A professional title such as CPA does not eliminate the need for independent oversight when someone controls a trust. Beneficiaries and families should understand who can withdraw money, what compensation the trustee is authorized to receive and what financial records they are entitled to review.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s guidance for trustees and other fiduciaries says someone managing another person’s assets must act in that person’s best interest, keep the assets separate from their own money and maintain complete records.
Beneficiaries concerned about missing funds can request a formal accounting and consult an independent trust or estate attorney about their rights under the trust and applicable state law. Bank statements, tax records, invoices, emails and other financial documents should be preserved if misuse is suspected.