Primary ‘coordinator’ of July 26 Cincinnati brawl indicted on federal drug charges

A federal grand jury has indicted a Cincinnati man on drug charges after authorities identified him as the primary “coordinator” of a July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati.

Jermaine Mathews, 39, was on bond after local officials charged him with aggravated riot and assault in connection with the July fracas. Federal agents and members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office RENU unit, a multi-jurisdictional drug task force, arrested him on Monday on the superseding indictment.

Mathews is one of four men charged in a superseding indictment with drug charges.

According to the indictment, Mathews is responsible for “conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl,” the feds said. He was also charged with “operating a premises on Kenton Street in Cincinnati for the purpose of trafficking narcotics,” according to a release.

The feds identified others facing charges as Jerome Mitchell, 41; Terence Huff, 41; and Clarence Williams, 42, all of whom are from Cincinnati.

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury indicted 34-year-old Montanez Merriweather on a charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. According to the feds, the crime is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

According to a release, on July 2, Merriweather “illegally possessed a 9mm pistol. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.”

The feds confirmed Merriweather has been identified as participating in the July 26 brawl. He faces several local charges, including assault, felonious assault and aggravated riot, and remains in state custody.

“There is no place for violence in our communities,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a release. “Those who commit violent acts can expect to be scrutinized and they will be held accountable for violations of federal criminal law.”

In the aftermath of the viral beatdown, which took place at West Fourth and Elm streets in downtown Cincinnati, authorities charged at least eight people in connection with the fight, including one who was nabbed in Georgia.

They also charged 45-year-old Alex Tchervinski, who is White, with a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. However, prosecutors, citing Marsy’s Law, which is designed to protect crime victims’ rights and privacy, have sealed information about the case, WCPO-TV reported.

“I am not aware of what basis they made the disorderly conduct charge. It’s not been explained to me by any prosecutor,” his attorney, Doug Brannon, told WCPO-TV.

“I can’t explain why the city brings a charge and then wants to try and conceal it at the same time,” Brannon told the television station. “I think that this is something that needs to be aired to the public.”

The other seven charged in the case are Black.

“We think he was undercharged and the African Americans were overcharged,” Pastor Damon Lynch III told WCPO-TV.

The fight garnered a myriad of reactions, but none may have been as surprising as Cincinnati Councilwoman Victoria Parks. The 67-year-old Democrat said on Facebook that the victims “begged for that beat down!”

Separately, Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno demanded criminal justice reforms and more police in the wake of a brawl in downtown Cincinnati that went viral thanks to bystanders who seemingly recorded it rather than call police. The federal lawmaker, who threatened to withhold Cincinnati’s federal funding if officials don’t act, indicated he would work with state lawmakers to introduce legislation.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that this week, the city’s police union unanimously voted no confidence in Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval for his response to the fight.

“This unanimous vote of no confidence is a clear message from our members that Mayor Pureval’s leadership has fallen short in supporting the men and women who protect this city every day,” Cincinnati FOP President Ken Kober told Spectrum News 1. “From political interference in law enforcement to neglecting the well-being of officers and the community, these failures demand accountability and change.”