CINCINNATI — Another suspect from the downtown Cincinnati fight from July 26 has been indicted on federal charges, said Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
Gerace said Jermaine Mathews, 39, is one of four men charged in a superseding indictment of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
Mathews allegedly conspired to distribute "40 grams or more of fentanyl," Gerace said. Gerace said he's also charged with operating a premises on Kenton Street in Cincinnati with the purpose of trafficking drugs.
Mathews was arrested Monday by federal agents for the superseding indictment. The three other Cincinnati men charged in the case are Jerome Mitchell, 41, Terence Huff, 41 and Clarence Williams, 42.
The 39-year-old has been out on bond after being charged locally with aggravated rioting and assault for the July fight downtown. Gerace said Mathews, who turned himself in to police regarding the fight, was described as a primary "coordinator" in the brawl by prosecutors.
Cincinnati police detective Barnabas Blank said Mathews, as well as another suspect, Montianez Merriweather, coordinated an attack on others involved in the fight.
Mathews's attorney, Brandon Fox, disputed this version of events. He said Mathews was standing on a corner nearby when a man he didn't know came up and asked for marijuana. Mathews gave him some just before a fight broke out down the sidewalk that Mathews then attempted to break up, Fox said.
Prosecutors argued Mathews was seen on video kicking people and repeatedly jumping back into the fight, visibly enraged. However, Blank conceded that Mathews was hit in the face before then.
"The victim comes up and mugs him in the face," Blank said.
"The victim mugs the defendant?" asked the judge.
"Yes, he absolutely does, 100% and we are looking into that," Blank said. "But we found another video that predates that one, where there is some kind of fight that happens even before that, where he is squared up with a gentleman prior to."
Mathews was one of six people arrested and charged with aggravated riot and assault for the downtown fight. Another suspect was charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated rioting. Last week, a man also identified as a victim in the violent fight was charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in connection with it.
