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St. Louis man accused of trying to rob undercover police officer

ST. LOUIS — A Missouri man is accused of trying to rob an undercover police officer after arranging to sell a gun to him, according to a federal complaint.

Dariyon Martin, 22, of St. Louis, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri. 

According to the complaint, the detective arranged to buy a Glock 27 firearm from Martin for $400 on Aug. 7. When the detective arrived at the location, Martin entered the undercover agent’s vehicle and handed him a Ruger .40-caliber pistol, the complaint said.

Moments later, Martin allegedly robbed the detective at gunpoint, leaving after they struggled over the gun, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. According to the complaint, Martin left with the gun and the money.

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

The criminal case is part of Operation LeGend. The initiative was named for LeGend M. Taliferro, a 4-year-old boy who was fatally shot while he slept inside his father’s apartment on June 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.