Lajuan Marquis Martin, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Missouri 2025

Columbia Man Caught with Firearm, Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison

A Columbia, Missouri man has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm after a search by local police revealed the weapon in his shoe.

Lajuan Marquis Martin, 31, appeared in federal court in Jefferson City, Missouri on November 14, 2025, and pleaded guilty to a single-count indictment. According to the affidavit associated with the original complaint, Martin was arrested on October 16, 2025, for driving while his license was suspended.

During processing at the Columbia Police Department, officers discovered pills and bags of white powder in Martin's pant legs, as well as a Taurus model PT 738, .380 caliber firearm in his shoe.

Martin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including a conviction in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Under federal law, Martin is facing up to 15 years imprisonment, in addition to a term of supervised release. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Missouri Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/columbia-man-pleads-guilty-firearms-offense