Five plead guilty to charges in brutal Cincinnati beatdown that went viral last summer

Five people have pleaded guilty in connection with the brutal beatdown in downtown Cincinnati that went viral last year. 

On Monday, four of the five individuals pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from the fight, with a fifth person pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

The charges stem from a violent fight that broke out on the corner of Fourth and Elm streets in downtown Cincinnati around 3 a.m. on July 26, 2025. 

Defense attorneys for those charged have insisted the fight was sparked after one of the victims allegedly directed a racial slur at a member of the group.

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Video footage of the altercation subsequently went viral, with clips showing the moment a woman was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious garnering millions of views throughout social media. 

A man was also seen being knocked to the ground and struck more than two dozen times in the head. 

Those who pleaded guilty to felony charges include Jermaine Mathews, 39; Montianez Merriweather, 35; Gregory Wright, 33; and Aisha Devaughn, 26, the Enquirer reported.

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Mathews reportedly faces the longest prison term of up to 4.5 years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to aggravated rioting and attempted felonious assault. His defense attorney has previously said the racial slurs were directed at Mathews. 

Surveillance footage shows Mathews approaching a man and punching him in the head. Minutes later, after the man appears to slap Mathews in the face, he is seen throwing the victim to the ground before punching and kicking him.  

Merriweather and Devaughn pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and aggravated rioting, according to the outlet. They each face up to three years in prison.

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Wright, who was accused of ripping a chain from a victim’s neck after Mathews flung the man to the ground, reportedly pleaded guilty to felony theft and misdemeanor rioting, with the most serious charge carrying a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. 

Dekyra Vernon, 25, also reportedly pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct charges stemming from the fight. 

Charges against two other defendants in the case — Patrick Rosemond, 39, and Dominique Kittle, 38 — remain pending, according to the Enquirer.

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In March, an Ohio judge reportedly dismissed a disorderly conduct charge against a White man who authorities previously said was one of the victims. 

The beatdown ignited allegations that the incident was racially motivated, with political leaders including Vice President JD Vance and Vivek Ramaswamy previously speaking out against the video after it went viral.

Those who pleaded guilty are set to be sentenced on May 19 and June 11. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the attorneys for the defendants and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office for comment.