A St. Louis man has admitted in federal court that he illegally kept a small arsenal in his bedroom, pleading guilty Wednesday after agents and police say they recovered 17 firearms, including two reported stolen, and five bullet-resistant vests following a March 12, 2024 standoff.
Demond Spruill, 51, entered a guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. The plea wraps up a case that began more than two years earlier, when agents were planning a search of his home. During the March operation, Spruill ultimately surrendered to officers after negotiating with them by phone.
Scene and Seizure
According to First Alert 4, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers had been preparing to search Spruill’s residence in the 4400 block of Lexington Avenue on March 12, 2024.
Before they got there, officers encountered a red Dodge Charger near the 2800 block of Marcus Avenue. Court documents say Spruill initially refused to get out of the vehicle and then sped away. When officers later arrived at the Lexington Avenue home, Spruill ran inside and refused to come out, leading to negotiations by phone before he surrendered.
Agents say that once they searched his bedroom, they found 17 firearms, a large quantity of ammunition and five bullet-resistant vests. Two of the guns had been reported stolen.
Federal Charge and Penalties
The case centers on federal law that bars people with felony convictions from possessing firearms under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). A conviction under that statute can bring prison time and fines, and certain enhancements, for example under the Armed Career Criminal Act, can add mandatory minimum sentences in some situations, according to LII / Cornell Law.
How Prosecutors Handle These Cases
Research from the U.S. Sentencing Commission shows that most defendants convicted under section 922(g) receive prison terms and that the Eastern District of Missouri handles a substantial caseload of felon-in-possession prosecutions, underscoring federal focus on illegal gun possession in the St. Louis area.
Sentences vary widely based on a defendant’s criminal history and whether any enhancements apply, but many 922(g) offenders receive multiyear prison terms.
Prosecution and Next Steps
Spruill pleaded guilty on Wednesday, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake, according to First Alert 4.
The guilty plea resolves a federal count that could carry years behind bars, depending on Spruill’s criminal history and whether any sentence enhancements apply. The court is expected to set a sentencing date in the coming months.
