Three males have been sentenced on Wednesday to a long time in jail for his or her roles within the drugging and theft of patrons at New York Metropolis homosexual bars that in the end led to the overdose deaths of two victims.
Jacob Barroso, 32, Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, and Robert DeMaio, 36, have been discovered responsible in February of committing homicide, theft and conspiracy for the scheme that despatched shockwaves by way of town’s LGBTQ group.
Throughout the 15-month spree — which lasted from March 2021 to June 2022 — Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social employee, and John Umberger, a 33-year-old political guide, have been killed after being given fentanyl-laced medicine.
Julio Ramirez (left) and John Umberger. Umberger and Ramirez have been killed because the defendants hunted for seemingly targets between March 2021 and July 2022, officers stated, with the perpetrators stealing cellphones, bank cards and different gadgets from their helpless victims.
Ramirez was left unresponsive at the back of a taxi after being focused by the trio exterior The Ritz Bar and Lounge in Hell’s Kitchen. He was ultimately taken to a hospital the place he was pronounced useless.
Umberger was discovered useless in an Higher East Facet condominium, days after he met Hamilton and DeMaio exterior The Q, a Hell’s Kitchen nightclub that has since closed.
The town’s medical expert dominated each males had ingested a deadly mixture of fentanyl, lidocaine and cocaine.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors stated the crew lurked exterior the nightclubs to use intoxicated patrons, befriending them earlier than providing them medicine that rendered them unconscious.
After knocking out their victims, they used facial recognition know-how to unlock their telephones, then proceeded to empty their financial institution accounts and use fee apps to make hundreds of {dollars} in purchases.
All three of the defendants have been convicted of murdering Ramirez, whereas solely Hamilton and DeMaio have been convicted in Umberger’s demise.
On Wednesday, Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg introduced Hamilton and DeMaio had been sentenced to 40 years-to-life in state jail. Barroso was hit with 20 years-to-life.
“They left both men to die as they used their financial accounts to purchase clothes and sneakers, never once showing concern about the deadly consequences of their actions,” Bragg stated in an announcement. “We will never be able to undo the tragic losses of Mr. Ramirez and Mr. Umberger, but I hope these significant prison sentences can provide some closure to their loved ones.”
Attorneys for all three males stated their shoppers intend to attraction their convictions.
Andre Butts is sentenced in Manhattan Supreme Courtroom Thursday, March 20, 2025 in New York Metropolis. (Barry Williams / New York Every day Information)
Three different conspirators, Eddie Ashley, Shane Hoskins and Andre Butts, have been beforehand arrested and reached plea offers in reference to the scheme.
The demise of clothier Kathryn Marie Gallagher below related circumstances in 2022 was ultimately dominated a murder and led police to suspect a second drugging-and-robbery crew was concentrating on the Decrease East Facet.
Thus far, just one man, Kenwood Allen, has been charged in relation to Gallagher’s case. He was in the end charged in a drugging spree that led to the deaths of 5 folks.
Initially Printed: Might 21, 2025 at 5:41 PM EDT
