Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announce update on Operation Legend
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio
Over 100 defendants charged with federal crimes under Operation Legend in Cleveland
During a visit with law enforcement in Memphis today, Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced updates on Operation Legend, which was expanded to Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020.
Since Operation Legend’s launch in July 2020, nearly 5,500 arrests – including approximately 276 for homicide, 66 of which occurred in Memphis – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 28 kilos of heroin, nearly 16 kilos of fentanyl, more than 200 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 30 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized.
Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 602 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 441 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.
In Cleveland, 101 defendants have been charged with federal crimes, including 59 defendants charged with narcotics-related offenses, 38 charged with firearms-related offenses and 4 with other violent crimes. U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman released the following statement:
“Thanks to the hard work of all those involved in our collaborative law enforcement partnership, we have now charged over 100 defendants in Cleveland under Operation Legend,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “Among those charged are career criminals, heroin and fentanyl traffickers, felons with rifles and other high-powered weapons, carjackers, bank robbers and many more. We will continue to pursue these violent criminals and drug traffickers until everyone in Cleveland can live safely and peacefully."
The Attorney General launched Operation Legend on July 8, 2020, as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City.
Launched in Kansas City, MO. on July 8, 2020, the operation expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district can be found here.
Contact
Daniel Ball
Daniel.Ball@usdoj.gov
Updated October 21, 2020
Topic
Operation Legend
Component