AG Barr announces initial results of Federal Efforts to help stop crime in Democrat run Cities with ‘Operation Legend’
Steven Nelson, NY Post
Attorney General William Barr said Wednesday that federal agents helped make 1,485 arrests as part of the nine-city anti-violent-crime Operation Legend.
Barr said 1,000 state fugitives were arrested during the operation and 200 people face federal charges, many of them for illegal guns.
The attorney general detailed the figures at a press conference in Kansas City, Missouri, where the namesake of the operation, 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, was shot dead while sleeping in his bed on June 29.
The anti-crime initiative deploys federal help to bolster local officers fighting a spike in violent crime, especially after anti-police brutality protests over the Minnesota police killing of George Floyd in May.
President Trump ordered federal agents into Chicago and Albuquerque in July to address a surge in murders. Chicago’s Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot initially vowed to resist the effort, but ultimately acquiesced.
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The operation coincided with anti-riot deployments to Portland, Ore., but Barr did not offer details on arrests there.
Operation Legend was expanded to Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee on July 29, to St. Louis, Mo., and Memphis, Tenn., on Aug. 6, and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14.
The most federal charges are in Chicago, with 61 cases. In Albuquerque there are 32 federal cases, in Cleveland there are 32, in Detroit there are 22 and in St. Louis there are 15.
Barr said federal charges can put away violent criminals for longer periods of time. He slammed what he said are often soft penalties in local cases.
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“In far too many states, the sentences are too lenient and do not incapacitate these violent criminals long enough and do not provide a deterrent,” Barr said. “Criminals know that. They know that the federal system means business and we’re putting them out of business.”
Barr distinguished between tough enforcement of laws against small-scale drug dealing and those against violent crime.
“I think what people refer to as mass incarceration really refers to the harsh long sentences for minor drug distribution or small amounts of drug distribution, which led to a very substantial increase in the prison population,” he said. “I’m not talking about that now. I’m talking about getting shooters off the street.”
Barr, who also was attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, said, “What’s happening these days in the country is we’re going back to some of the old practices we followed in the ’60s and ’70s, where there’s revolving-door justice and people are not being held, they’re not being held before trial when they’re dangerous. They’re not being sentenced to prison even though they’re violent.”
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Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation Legend at Press Conference in Kansas City, Missouri
At a press conference in Kansas City, Missouri, today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend.
Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 1,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 217 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. These numbers exclude Indianapolis, whose operation was just announced last Friday. In addition, nearly 400 firearms have been seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Attorney General launched the operation 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 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 Aug. 6, 2020, and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district, with the exception of Indianapolis, is below.
Kansas City, MO.
Forty-three defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses. In addition to the federal charges, the operation has led to the arrests of 17 state defendants on homicide charges.
20 defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
17 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking;
Four defendants have been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm;
Six defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Four defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime;
One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition;
Three defendants have been charged with armed robbery;
One defendant has been charged with carjacking; and
One defendant has been charged with arson.
17 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking;
Four defendants have been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm;
Six defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Four defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime;
One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition;
Three defendants have been charged with armed robbery;
One defendant has been charged with carjacking; and
One defendant has been charged with arson.
Chicago, Ill.
Sixty-one defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
34 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses;
26 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
One defendant has been charged with possession of machine gun;
One defendant has been charged with illegally dealing firearms without a license;
One defendant has been charged with the illegal sale of firearm to prohibited person; and
One defendant has been charged with bank fraud.
26 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
One defendant has been charged with possession of machine gun;
One defendant has been charged with illegally dealing firearms without a license;
One defendant has been charged with the illegal sale of firearm to prohibited person; and
One defendant has been charged with bank fraud.
Albuquerque, NM.
Sixteen defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
Six defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Four defendants have been charged with distribution of controlled substances;
Six defendants have been charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance;
Four defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Eight defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
One defendant has been charged with being in possession of a stolen firearm;
Two defendants have been charged with Hobbs Act violations; and
One defendant has been charged with carjacking.
Four defendants have been charged with distribution of controlled substances;
Six defendants have been charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance;
Four defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Eight defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
One defendant has been charged with being in possession of a stolen firearm;
Two defendants have been charged with Hobbs Act violations; and
One defendant has been charged with carjacking.
Cleveland, OH.
Thirty-two defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses. Two defendants remain fugitives.
22 defendants have been charged with federal drug trafficking charges;
Nine defendants have been charged with federal firearms violations; and
One defendant had been charged with carjacking.
Nine defendants have been charged with federal firearms violations; and
One defendant had been charged with carjacking.
Detroit, MI.
Twenty-two defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
14 defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Two defendants have been charged with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances;
Two defendants have been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Three defendants have been charged with receipt of a firearm while under indictment;
Four defendants have been charged with making false statement to a licensed firearm dealer; and
Two defendants have been charged with carjacking.
Two defendants have been charged with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances;
Two defendants have been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Three defendants have been charged with receipt of a firearm while under indictment;
Four defendants have been charged with making false statement to a licensed firearm dealer; and
Two defendants have been charged with carjacking.
Milwaukee, WI.
Eleven defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses. In addition, thus far, 28 firearms have been seized.
Eight defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Five defendants have been charged with possession with intent to distribute narcotics;
Four defendants have been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Two defendants have been charged with making false statements to a licensed firearm dealer;
One defendant has been charged with possession of a firearm while being an unlawful user of narcotics;
One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition; and
One defendant has been charged with distribution of narcotics.
Five defendants have been charged with possession with intent to distribute narcotics;
Four defendants have been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Two defendants have been charged with making false statements to a licensed firearm dealer;
One defendant has been charged with possession of a firearm while being an unlawful user of narcotics;
One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition; and
One defendant has been charged with distribution of narcotics.
St. Louis, MO.
Twenty-five defendants have been charged with federal crimes, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
One defendant has been charged with drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime following the USMS’s execution of a state arrest warrant;
One defendant has been charged with robbery of an item effecting interstate commerce and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence following an joint ATF, SLMPD-initiated undercover operation targeting a known shooter;
One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm following ATF’s execution of a federal search warrant directed towards the residence of a suspected murderer;
21 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking offenses; and
One defendant has been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm.
One defendant has been charged with robbery of an item effecting interstate commerce and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence following an joint ATF, SLMPD-initiated undercover operation targeting a known shooter;
One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm following ATF’s execution of a federal search warrant directed towards the residence of a suspected murderer;
21 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking offenses; and
One defendant has been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm.
Memphis, Tenn.
Seven defendants have been charged with federal offenses, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
One defendant has been charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm while illegally or unlawfully in the United States;
One defendant, who lives in Memphis, was charged in an out-of-district federal case with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
Two defendants have been charged with being unlawful users of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a material false statement when acquiring a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL); and
Two cases remain under seal, but the charges are as follows:
One defendant has been charged with bank robbery
Two defendants charged with theft from an FFL.
One defendant, who lives in Memphis, was charged in an out-of-district federal case with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
Two defendants have been charged with being unlawful users of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a material false statement when acquiring a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL); and
Two cases remain under seal, but the charges are as follows:
One defendant has been charged with bank robbery
Two defendants charged with theft from an FFL.
