Operation Legend: Case of the Day

Each weekday, the Department of Justice will highlight a case that has resulted from Operation Legend. Today’s case is out of the Western District of Missouri. Operation Legend launched in Kansas City on July 8, 2020, in response to the city facing increased homicide and non-fatal shooting rates.

United States vs. Daniel Dewayne Gregg

A Bates City, Missouri, man was charged in federal court after law enforcement officers seized nearly two dozen firearms and illegal drugs from his residence.

Daniel Dewayne Gregg, 57, was charged on Sept. 11, 2020, with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers identified Gregg as a major supplier of methamphetamine trafficking following several controlled drug purchases.  Officers executed a search warrant at Gregg’s residence on Friday, Sept. 11, and placed him under arrest.

It is alleged that Gregg told officers that he had been dealing crystal methamphetamine continuously for at least the past six months and stated that he was a kilogram-level dealer of crystal methamphetamine and had sold, at a conservative minimum, at least 12 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine per month for the past six months.  Gregg stated he had several large-scale customers who purchased at least a half-kilogram of methamphetamine from him at a time.  Gregg said he purchased methamphetamine for $12,000 per kilogram and sold it for about $13,000 per kilogram.

Officers located a large firearms safe in the basement of Gregg’s residence that contained 22 firearms and a large amount of cash.  Officers also searched Gregg’s vehicle and found 151.6 grams of methamphetamine, 436.5 grams of marijuana, and 207 prescription pills in unlabeled pill bottles.  Officers also found methamphetamine inside a fanny pack and a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on top of the fanny pack.  Gregg allegedly told officers he had the firearm because he had been threatened by individuals wanting to do him harm.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Background on Operation Legend

Since its inception, Operation Legend has yielded more than 3,500 local, state, and federal arrests, with more than 800 defendants charged with federal crimes.

President Trump promised to assist America’s cities that have been plagued by violence.  In July, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Legend, a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative across all federal law enforcement agencies working in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime in cities across America that were experiencing an uptick in violence.  Operation Legend is named after four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed on June 29th in Kansas City, Missouri, while asleep in his home.

Operation Legend was launched in Kansas City, Mo., on July 8, 2020, and expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020.  As part of Operation Legend, Attorney General Barr has directed federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA and ATF to surge resources to these cities to help state and local officials fighting violent crime.  The Department of Homeland Security is also contributing agents to these efforts in St. Louis.