DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Northern District of Ohio

For Immediate Release

Thursday, September 3, 2020
www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh

U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman Announces Update on Operation Legend in the City of Cleveland

On July 8, 2020, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Legend, 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 first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, the operation was 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.

Since the operation’s launch through Monday, August 31, 2020, more than 2000 arrests – included 147 for homicide – have been made; more than 544 firearms have been seized; and more than seven kilos of fentanyl, 14 kilos of heroin, 12 kilos of cocaine, and 50 kilos of methamphetamine have been seized.

Of those individuals arrested, 476 have been charged with federal offenses. Two hundred and forty-nine (249) of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while 185 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.

“Operation Legend has had a strong start in the city of Cleveland and we hope to build upon this early success,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “This initiative has already seen more than 50 defendants charged with federal crimes and has removed numerous firearms and drugs off our streets. This success is due to the strong partnership that we have here in Cleveland between city, state and federal law enforcement.”

The breakdown of federal charges in Cleveland is below.

Cleveland, Ohio

54 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

  • 39 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
  • 13 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
  • 2 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

To view Operation Legend results in other cities, click here.

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Columbus Field Division