Cleveland, OH – In the late afternoon of December 4, 2008 at approximately 4:15 p.m., the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, along with officers from the Cleveland Police Department, apprehended fugitive Brazzie Bryant at a residence on the 3200 block of West 32nd Street in Cleveland. Bryant (age 33) was wanted by the Wheeling Police Department in West Virginia for charges of sexual assault of a minor. The allegations of the sexual assault involved a 13 year old female. The police in West Virginia determined Bryant had fled to the Cleveland area and sent a request to the Cleveland Police Department for assistance. The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force and Cleveland Police Department worked diligently on locating Bryant. In late November, Bryant was profiled as the Fugitive of the Week in the Plain Dealer newspaper.

After an extensive investigation, Task Force Officers were able to locate Bryant on West 32nd Street, where he was arrested without incident. Bryant has a lengthy criminal history in the Cleveland area to include offenses of attempted murder, felonious assault, narcotics trafficking, resisting arrest, domestic violence and receiving stolen property.

U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott states, “Those that prey on our children are pursued with the highest priority. The Cleveland community is a safer place tonight thanks to the persistence of our Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers.”

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at: 1-866-4-WANTED. Callers may remain anonymous.

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force in Cuyahoga County is composed of the following federal, state and local agencies: U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cleveland Police Department, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department, Euclid Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Linndale Village Police Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Coast Guard.