Three men were sentenced on May 21 to decades in prison for their roles in a conspiracy to drug and rob men leaving New York bars and nightclubs late at night, resulting in two deaths in 2022, prosecutors said. Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, Robert DeMaio, 36, and Jacob Barroso, 32, werefound guilty in Februaryon multiple counts of murder, robbery, and conspiracy for the 15-month-long scheme that targeted victims in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, according to theManhattan District Attorney's Office. The case sent shockwaves through the city's LGBTQ+ community after two men were found dead in April and May 2022. The two men were identified as Julio Ramirez, 25, and John Umberger, 33, who both died from "drug-facilitated thefts," according to the medical examiner's office. Lab tests revealed that the men had fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and several other drugs in their systems when they died. Their family members told news outlets that they suspected foul play after discovering the men's bank accounts had been drained,USA TODAY previously reported. Prosecutors accused Hamilton, DeMaio, and Barroso of lurking outside nightclubs and bars to "exploit intoxicated individuals." Prosecutors said the defendants gave their victims drugs laced with fentanyl to immobilize them before taking the victims' phones and withdrawing money from their online financial accounts. On May 21, Hamilton and DeMaio were sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison, while Barroso was sentenced to 20 years to life, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. All three were convicted of the murder of Ramirez, and only Hamilton and DeMaio were convicted in Umberger's death. "Julio Ramirez and John Umberger were beloved by their friends and family and had incredibly bright futures ahead of them," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg said in a statement. "Yet their lives were cut short by these defendants, who displayed a wanton disregard towards their victims. 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." New Orleans jail escape:What are the odds that all fugitives will be caught? During the three-week trial, prosecutors detailed at least five incidents that occurred between March and May 2022 in which the defendants targeted victims outside of The Q NYC, a now-closed gay nightclub, and The Ritz Bar and Lounge. The two venues were located in Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood that has a large LGBTQ+ population. Prosecutors said the defendants drugged their victims with fentanyl-laced drugs to cause them to become unconscious. The defendants then stole the victims' phones to make unauthorized charges and transfers on Cash App, Apple Cash, or Zelle. Their victims often woke up the next day, only to realize their phones and wallets were missing, according to prosecutors. In one instance, the defendants used a victim's credit card to purchase luxury fashion at Prada and Bloomingdale's. In another instance, a victim discovered that $2,000 had been transferred from his bank account to DeMaio's account, prosecutors said. On April 21, 2022, the defendants met Ramirez outside of The Ritz Bar and Lounge, prosecutors said. They then left Ramirez unresponsive in the back of a cab at about 3:30 a.m. after giving him the laced drugs. Ramirez was later transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said the defendants spent thousands of dollars on sneakers and clothing after transferring money from Ramirez's Apple Cash and Cash App accounts. About a month later, Umberger met with DeMaio and Hamilton outside of The Q NYC. The three men eventually went back to Umberger's apartment building, where DeMaio and Hamilton left Umberger "motionless and incapacitated on his bed" after providing him with laced drugs, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said DeMaio and Hamilton spent over $2,000 from Umberger's accounts on sneakers and clothing at multiple stores. Umberger was found dead five days after the incident. Three other men were also arrested and convicted in connection with the scheme, according to prosecutors. The three co-conspirators were each sentenced to eight to nine years for robbery and conspiracy charges,W42ST,CBS News, andNBC4 Washingtonpreviously reported. U.S. fentanyl crisis:Drug overdose deaths plummet to pre-pandemic levels during fentanyl crisis During the same time, New York City authorities also reported that a different robbery crew was using similar tactics to commit crimes throughout lower Manhattan. In June 2023, a 33-year-old man was indicted for a drugging, robbery and larceny spree that targeted 21 victims and caused five deaths in 2022, according to theManhattan District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors accused Kenwood Allen of drugging his victims with fentanyl after they spent the night out at bars before stealing their phones, credit cards or watches. Prosecutors alleged that in some instances, Allen left his victims on the street after they had overdosed.The New York Postpreviously reported that Allen and other members of the robbery crew targeted at least 26 victims together. In response to these incidents, Bragg sentletters in 2024to the companies that own Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App, demanding that they enhance customer fraud protections. "No longer is the smartphone itself the most lucrative target for scammers and robbers – it's the financial apps contained within," Bragg said in a statement at the time. "Thousands or even tens of thousands can be drained from financial accounts in a matter of seconds with just a few taps. Without additional protections, customers' financial and physical safety is being put at risk." Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:3 men get decades in prison for role in NYC gay bar drugging scheme
