Falls man pleads guilty to manslaughter and weapons possession connected to 2022 crime spree

May 2—LOCKPORT — On the eve of his scheduled trial, a Falls man has pleaded guilty to a pair of charges, including manslaughter, for his role in a multi-day crime spree of robberies and shootings in the city in May 2022.

Rohmelo K. Lewis, 24, of the Falls, pleaded guilty, in a plea deal with prosecutors to charges of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The plea came as Lewis was scheduled to face a Niagara County Court jury on Monday on a grand jury indictment that charged him with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of first-degree robbery, one count of second-degree assault and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

In return for his plea, Niagara County Court Judge Caroline A. Wojtaszek committed to sentencing Lewis to 25 years in prison. His sentencing is set for July 5.

Lewis admitted to killing Cortez Galmore, who had recently moved to the Falls, during an attempted robbery on May 3, 2022.

He was the last of three defendants to enter a plea in connection with a crime spree of robberies and shootings that had Falls residents in fear from May 3 to May 5, 2022.

Isaiah J. Christian, 21, of the Falls, previously pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and first-degree robbery. He has not yet been sentenced.

Shawn Bomberry, 20, of the Falls, who was not involved in the Galmore homicide, previously pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree robbery and is currently serving a term in state prison.

"This defendant (Lewis) is the third to plead guilty to violent felony charges for this robbery spree," Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman said. "The pleas bring closure to Mr. Galmore's family and remove three violent criminals from our streets."

The crime spree involved a series of robberies and shootings, that Galmore dead, between the early morning hours of May 3 and the early morning hours of May 5.

Lewis had been a person of interest in the shooting death of Galmore, in the 1000 block of Cedar Avenue late on the night of May 4. He had previously been linked to three robberies and shootings in the early morning hours of May 5 and an incident on the night of May 3.

Detectives linked Christian to armed robberies that occurred May 3 in the 1400 block of Main Street and May 5 in the 1300 block of Main Street.

While detectives were beginning their investigation into the slaying of Galmore on May 4, patrol officers, at 1:12 a.m. May 5, were called to the 1300 block of Main Street for a report of an armed robbery. A male victim told police he was walking north on Main Street when two male suspects, wearing ski masks, approached him and hit him in the head with the stock of a firearm after robbing him.

The victim was hospitalized for treatment of his injuries, which were not considered life-threatening.

Lewis and Christian were tied to an incident six minutes later, at 1:18 a.m. May 5, in the 400 block of Elmwood Avenue. That victim told investigators that he was sitting on his porch when he was approached by two suspects who asked him for a "light." One of the suspects, believed to be Lewis, then began firing a gun at the victim.

The victim suffered what was described as a "graze wound" to his ear.

At 3:17 a.m. on May 5, two more victims approached police in the 700 block of Main Street and told the officers that a male suspect, armed with a shotgun, had approached them at Pine Avenue and Main Street and pointed the weapon at them. Neither victim was injured.

In response, Falls police deployed a contingent of NFPD Emergency Response Team officers and a K-9 Unit onto the city streets to search for the gunman. A Niagara County Sheriff's Office K-9, along with New York State Park Police and New York State Police patrols also assisted with the search and investigation.

Just before 4 a.m., on May 5, Falls Police Patrol Officer Wayne General located Lewis in the area of Main Street and Park Place and attempted to stop him for questioning. Lewis was found to be in possession of a rifle with both the barrel and stock cut down and was taken into custody.