Feds charge Cincinnati man they say is tied to shootings

Federal agents arrested a 27-year-old Cincinnati man on charges that he had firearms connected to three shootings and at least two slayings.

The feds allege that Lamont Champion “possessed a firearm that had previously been used to murder two individuals in Cincinnati and himself used a second firearm to commit two other shootings,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a release.

According to prosecutors, Champion has prior felony convictions for fentanyl and firearms. Officials said they recovered firearms from Champion that they allege he used in two separate shootings: an East Clifton Avenue shooting in July and a shooting near the Enclave Event Center.

Officials also said they found text and audio messages on Champion’s phone in which he referred to himself as the “reaper,” described how good he is at shooting/killing people, and how “hittin a mother***er” would make him happy for a month. According to prosecutors, in the messages, Champion conveyed the events of one shooting and mockingly described the victim’s reaction to being shot.

If convicted, Champion faces up to 15 years in prison.

Cincinnati has faced worries over violence, including a viral July 2025 street brawl that led Ohio lawmakers to consider tightening bail requirements. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge was also dismissed amid the fallout.

State and city officials also subsequently partnered to crack down on violent crime in the city.

Separately, two men charged with possessing firearms as convicted felons pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Kaylon Bradley, 34, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Bradley was apprehended in late March as part of operations the Ohio Investigative Unit, Dayton Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol conducted under the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative between Dayton and the state.

Prosecutors said Bradley has prior felony convictions of burglary, possession of heroin, weapons under disability and failure to comply causing serious physical harm. He was also on federal supervised release after a conviction tied to a 2025 narcotics case, prosecutors said.

A second man, Jason Smith, 46, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Prosecutors said that Smith has prior felony convictions for robbery, felonious assault with a deadly weapon and trafficking in drugs.

Bradley and Smith each face up to 15 years in prison when sentenced.