CLEVELAND — U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio Peter Elliott announced this week that the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force will be honored with a U.S. Marshal’s Service Director Honorary Award.

The award goes to “employees and citizens who perform in an exemplary manner in support of our agency’s mission,” according to a press release from Elliott’s office. The group will be honored Aug. 21 at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

The release states that the task force “works tirelessly to locate and arrest the most violent fugitives and also runs operations that have focused on violent offenders, gangs, firearm offenses and the recovery of missing children.”

The task force was created in 2003 in memory of slain Cleveland Police officer Wayne Leon and now comprises 150 federal, state and local agencies. It has more than 350 task force officers, including many in the Mahoning Valley. The task force has arrested more than 55,000 fugitives since 2003.

“The success of the NOVFTF is due to the strong partnerships we have built over the years,” Elliott stated. “Maintaining this level of success for more than 20 years is an incredible tribute to the dedicated men and women who have worked tirelessly pursuing the most dangerous fugitives in our area.”

Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-492-6833 or submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous. Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.

President George W. Bush appointed Elliott U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio in March 2003 after being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He was subsequently retained by Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Elliott is the longest serving U.S. Marshal in Ohio history, according to the U.S. Marshal’s website.