Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Offense

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Lajuan Marquis Martin, 31, was charged by complaint on Oct. 16, 2025, with possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. An indictment containing the same charge was returned by a grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 28, 2025. On Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Martin appeared before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps in Jefferson City, Mo., and pleaded guilty to the single-count indictment.

According to the affidavit associated with the original complaint, Martin was arrested by Columbia police officers for driving while his license was suspended. When he was brought to the Columbia Police Department for fingerprinting and processing, he was searched. Pills and bags of white powder began to fall out of his pant legs, and a Taurus, model PT 738, .380 caliber firearm was discovered in Martin's shoe. Martin is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including a prior 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 here 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.

Operation Take Back America

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).