ST. LOUIS – The case of the security officer who says he was illegally disarmed by the St. Louis Sheriff has taken a twist. Not only is the FBI investigating, but the former sheriff is speaking out, claiming an abuse of authority.

It’s a case first exposed by FOX 2 on Feb. 17.

Former sheriff’s deputy Darryl Wilson was working security at a south St. Louis gas station when he said Sheriff Alfred Montgomery arrived and told Wilson he was under arrest. Wilson said Montgomery also demanded his security license and personal gun.

“It sounds like robbery,” Wilson’s attorney, Bobby Bailey, said. “To go to a person’s personal job and to take his personal items; to me, that’s robbery.”

The sheriff’s office told FOX 2 that when we first reported this case, it thought Wilson was impersonating a sheriff’s deputy. A police report, however, said Wilson did not have clothing to indicate he was impersonating a deputy, and that St. Louis police returned Wilson’s security ID and gun.

“We are definitely looking at the facts and trying to understand where we will go from here,” Bailey said.

That includes a possible lawsuit.

Former Sheriff Vernon Betts is paying attention, telling us, “I was flabbergasted,” upon hearing about the gun incident.

“Who does something like that? I’ve never in my eight years (as sheriff) never done – went on somebody’s job and disarmed them,” he said.

Betts, who served two terms as sheriff, says he know first-hand the alleged action was beyond the sheriff’s duties.

“Pulling these kinds of stunts in the public eye, I think it’s unconscionable,” he said.

FOX 2 has tried to reach the sheriff for days now to discuss this incident and others. Sheriff Montgomery has given one reason after another about why he’s not available. On the day of this update, the sheriff did not answer his cell phone, and a senior official told FOX 2 that he’s not talking.

The gas station case is one of two cases St. Louis police report has been referred to the FBI. The other incident, under federal investigation, is Sheriff Montgomery’s alleged arrest of a jail administrator for refusing him jail access.