Dariyon Martin, 22, of St. Louis, Missouri, is facing federal charges after allegedly robbing an undercover officer during a gun deal gone sideways. The attempted transaction, which turned violent in seconds, ended with Martin brandishing a loaded firearm, snatching $400 in buy money, and fleeing the scene—leaving a law enforcement officer disarmed and in danger.
On August 7, 2020, an undercover detective from the St. Charles City Police Department arranged to purchase a Glock 27 from Martin for $400 in St. Louis. Martin, a convicted felon, is legally barred from possessing any firearm. But when the detective arrived at the meeting spot, Martin climbed into the vehicle and handed over a Ruger .40 caliber pistol—neither the agreed-upon model nor part of any lawful sale.
What followed was a chilling escalation. As the detective reached for the cash, Martin lunged across the car, seized the Ruger, and began manipulating it—removing the magazine and demonstrating it was loaded. Then, without warning, he pointed the weapon directly at the officer. Faced with a live firearm, the detective handed over the $400. A violent struggle erupted over the gun—Martin won, walking away with both weapon and cash.
After wrenching control of the firearm and money, Martin forced the detective to raise both hands before exiting the vehicle and disappearing into the night. The brazen robbery was captured in investigative documents filed by federal prosecutors, painting a picture of a suspect willing to use lethal force against law enforcement during a criminal transaction.
The case falls under Operation LeGend, a federal crackdown launched in 2020 to combat surging violent crime in St. Louis. Named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the city’s youngest homicide victims during a record year of gun violence, the operation mobilized agents from the FBI, DEA, DHS, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service to target armed criminals with federal consequences.
Charges against Dariyon Martin—felon in possession of a firearm, robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence—were brought by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Charles City Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. A criminal complaint is not a conviction: Martin is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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