As of Friday, April 19 (UPI) — Two people were killed and five guys have been indicted for robbing others while they were under the influence of drugs at city nightclubs and pubs.
On Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office released a statement announcing an indictment against Jayqwan Hamilton, 35, Robert Demaio, 34, Jacob Barroso, 29, Andre Butts, 27, and Shane Hoskins, 30.
All five defendants are charged with first-degree robbery, fourth-degree conspiracy, and various counts of identity theft and grand larceny.
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Two counts of second-degree murder have been filed against Hamilton and Demaio, while Barroso is accused of only one.
The five men are accused of giving narcotics to patrons of homosexual nightclubs and pubs with the purpose to render them helpless before robbing them of their belongings.
Several people, notably Julio Ramirez and John Umberger, were the intended targets of the conspiracy, which took place between March 2021 and July.
“Our entire city continues to mourn the tragic losses of Mr. Ramirez and Mr. Umberger,” Bragg said on Tuesday.
“I know that many other New Yorkers have feared for their own safety when going out to meet with friends, in addition to the pain their deaths have caused for their family and loved ones.”
Outside of The Ritz Bar in midtown Manhattan on April 21, 2022, Ramirez overdosed on a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and the synthetic opioid P-fluoro fentanyl supplied to him by Hamilton and Barroso.
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According to court filings, less than an hour after meeting them, Ramirez was left unconscious in a cab while Demaio took $3,200 from him via Zelle transactions and Hamilton and Butts used his credit card information to buy footwear.
About a month later, on May 28, Umberger was murdered after being approached by Hamilton and Demaio outside The Q NYC.
Hamilton allegedly left Umberger comatose in an apartment while she took thousands of dollars from his credit card accounts. More than $3,500 was spent on various illicit purchases made by Hamilton and Butts.
Bragg said at a press conference on Tuesday that they looked into filing hate crime charges but ultimately decided there wasn’t enough evidence to do so.
He said, “There was no evidence within the four corners of the law, but we still stand with the community and continue to meet and address their concerns.”
