GRANITE CITY – A local man accused of robbing a Facebook Marketplace buyer after arranging to sell them a gaming system faces a felony charge.
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Ayden R. Freeman, 21, of Roxana, was charged on March 12, 2026 with one count of aggravated robbery, a Class 1 felony.
On Feb. 23, 2026, Freeman allegedly knowingly took $450 in U.S. currency from an individual victim and threatened the imminent use of force by indicating he was armed with a firearm.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny Freeman’s pretrial release from custody, stating the incident occurred after the victim arranged to buy a gaming system via Facebook Marketplace.
Once the seller arrived, the victim reported paying $450 in cash to the seller while they were inside a black Dodge Charger, according to the petition. The victim then reported seeing a firearm on the seller’s lap.
“Victim attempted to retrieve the gaming system, but the seller pointed the firearm at him and sped away with his money,” the petition states.
The petition states a black Dodge Charger registered in Freeman’s name was seen on License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras in the area of the robbery. Freeman was also reportedly identified by the victim and a witness from a photo lineup. Additionally, Freeman allegedly has a YouTube channel in which he is easily identifiable as matching the name of the Facebook Marketplace seller and “holding a gun as described by the victim.”
The Granite City Police Department presented the case against Freeman, who was ordered remanded to jail for his initial court appearance in this case.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
