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Cincinnati Beating Suspect Faces Federal Gun Charge Amid Ongoing Assault Case
Cincinnati beating suspect Montanez Merriweather has been indicted on a federal gun charge while already facing multiple state assault and rioting charges in a violent attack that injured six people, including an Ohio mother of three.
Montianez Merriweather and Dekyra Vernon have been arrested in connection to a fight in Cincinnati that gained national attention over the weekend. (Hamilton County Sheriff's Office)
A federal grand jury has indicted Montanez Merriweather, 34, on a charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced Tuesday.
According to the indictment, Merriweather was found to be in possession of a 9mm pistol on July 2. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. If convicted on the federal gun charge, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Merriweather is also a suspect in the widely publicized July 26 beating in downtown Cincinnati’s business district that left six people injured outside a popular nightclub. In that case, he has been charged with three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault, and two counts of aggravated rioting. He is currently in state custody.
“There is no place for violence in our communities,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a statement. “Those who commit violent acts can expect to be scrutinized and they will be held accountable for violations of federal criminal law.”
Among the victims of the beating was an Ohio mother of three, identified only as Holly, who sustained brain trauma, a severe concussion, neurological damage, and vision injuries. “I’m having someone help take care of me financially, mentally and physically,” Holly told Fox News Digital. “It’s very humbling, it’s very embarrassing to not be able to just be able to hang out by myself. I think that’s the scary part, to not know just how deep the damage is going to be.” She said the extent of her recovery remains uncertain.
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Five other suspects in the attack also face three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault, and two counts of aggravated rioting. A seventh suspect, Gregory Wright, 32, has been charged with aggravated riot and aggravated robbery, according to Hamilton County Jail records. Wright was booked into jail at approximately 4:30 p.m. Monday.
