Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Northern Ohio and Canton police detective among those being honored at Attorney General's Award ceremony next week

Two Assistant United States Attorneys who successfully prosecuted an international terrorism investigation and a Canton police detective who worked collaboratively to combat the opioid epidemic are among those being honored with Justice Department’s highest recognition Tuesday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Shepherd and Michael Freeman will receive the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security. Canton Police Detective Michael Rastetter will receive the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions will honor efforts by people from inside and outside the Department of Justice in Washington on Tuesday at the 66th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony.  This annual ceremony recognizes individuals for their outstanding service and dedication to carrying out the missions of the Department of Justice.

“These honorees are exceptional because they each thought outside the box to come up with new ways to tackle persistent law enforcement problems,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “AUSAs Shepherd and Freeman worked tirelessly along with agents and analysts to trace the flow of funds from the United States to halfway around the world, money that was to be used to fund terror attacks. Detective Rastetter leads an effort that creates new partnerships to address an epidemic that has caused so much pain and suffering in Ohio. They each represent the best of our community and further the mission of the Justice Department.”

Canton Police Lt. John Gabbard said: “The Stark Outreach Support team is effective because of Detective Rastetter and our community partners. Their dedication cannot be measured by the number of hours they work or homes they visit. The impact they have on individuals and families struggling with addiction can only be attributed to their compassion, patience and sense of duty.  As part of this team, Detective Rastetter has improved lives in our community and that is the essence of our mission as a law enforcement agency.”

Shepherd and Freeman led a team of FBI agents and analysts from at least five different field offices in the investigation and prosecution of Yahya Farooq Mohammad, Ibrahim Zubair Mohammad, Asif Salim, and Sultane Salim. 

These four men in 2009 provided more than $20,000 to Anwar Al Awlaki in Yemen, just four months before a member of Awlaki’s group attempted to detonate a bomb in his pants while flying on a plane over Detroit. Through the painstaking efforts of Shepherd, Freeman and the entire team, they were able to track down these payments and pursue these four defendants across the globe.  Additionally, Yahya Mohammad would later plot to kill a federal judge assigned his case and arranged for payments to a would-be hitman for the murder of the judge. 

All four defendants were ultimately convicted and the leader, Yahya Mohammad, was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison.

Shepherd works in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland while Freeman works in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Toledo.

Rastetter was honored for his work on the Stark County Support initiative, which has led to a dramatic decrease in fatal overdoses, an increase in people being placed in drug treatment facilities and has been replicated throughout the region.

The Canton Police Department was grappling with the opioid epidemic in 2017 when it created the Stark Outreach Support initiative. Canton police put together a team consisting of a nurse, a social worker and a vice detective. The team created lists of all individuals who overdosed in the city and survived.  Then the team visited each person offering services. 

The police worked closely with local partners that provide drug rehab and recovery services, utilizing detox beds they made available for the effort.  By the end of 2017, our non-fatal overdoses had decreased by 19 percent compared to 2016.  Overdose deaths in Canton were reduced by over 55 percent compared to 2016. This came at a time when Ohio was experiencing a dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths.