St. Louis Man Faces Federal Firearms Charges in Connection to Robbing an Undercover Officer

 St. Louis – Dariyon Martin, 22, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged by a federal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. 

According to the criminal complaint, an undercover police detective from the St. Charles City Police Department arranged to buy a Glock 27 firearm from Martin for $400 on August 7, 2020in the City of St. Louis.  Martin is a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.  

After the undercover detective arrived at the agreed-upon buy location, Martin entered the detective’s vehicle and handed the detective a Ruger .40 caliber pistol not the Glock 27 firearm that Martin had previously agreed to sell.  When the detective reached to retrieve the buy money, Martin reached across the detective and grabbed the firearm.  Martin began to manipulate the firearm by taking the magazine out and showing the detective it was loaded with ammunition.  Martin then pointed the firearm at the detective and the detective handed Martin the buy money.  Martin and the undercover detective then struggled over the firearm, at which time Martin took both the firearm and the money.  The undercover detective held both his/her hands up, and Martin exited the vehicle.  Martin then left the scene of the robbery.

This investigation is part of Operation LeGend which is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in St. Louis in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

These charges are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the St. Charles City Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. 

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.