A Cape Girardeau man has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for illegally purchasing firearms that were later linked to criminal investigations in Missouri and Illinois. U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. handed down the sentence on Tuesday.
Dayquan Long, 23, of Cape Girardeau, will also serve two years of supervised release after completing his prison term. In September, Long pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to making a false statement during a firearm purchase.
According to court documents, Long bought 19 firearms from two federally licensed dealers between November 3, 2022, and November 27, 2024. During each transaction, he filled out a form stating he was the “actual transferee/buyer” and not acquiring the guns for someone else. He signed an acknowledgment indicating he understood that repeatedly buying firearms for resale without a federal license is illegal.
Long’s plea agreement states that some of the guns he sold were recovered during criminal investigations in Kansas City, Sweet Springs, Springfield and Cape Girardeau in Missouri as well as Overland Park in Kansas. On February 5, 2025, Long told an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that he sold the firearms for profits ranging from $100 to $200 per gun.
The ATF led the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted it.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which coordinates efforts among law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide. The Department of Justice strengthened PSN’s strategy on May 26, 2021 by emphasizing community trust-building initiatives, support for organizations focused on violence prevention, targeted enforcement priorities and performance measurement.
