Three men were sentenced on Wednesday to decades in prison for their roles in the drugging and robbery of patrons at New York City gay bars that ultimately led to the overdose deaths of two victims.
Jacob Barroso, 32, Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, and Robert DeMaio, 36, were found guilty in February of committing murder, robbery and conspiracy for the scheme that sent shockwaves through the city’s LGBTQ community.
During the 15-month spree — which lasted from March 2021 to June 2022 — Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social worker, and John Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant, were killed after being given fentanyl-laced drugs.
Ramirez was left unresponsive in the back of a taxi after being targeted by the trio outside The Ritz Bar and Lounge in Hell’s Kitchen. He was eventually taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Umberger was found dead in an Upper East Side apartment, days after he met Hamilton and DeMaio outside The Q, a Hell’s Kitchen nightclub that has since closed.
The city’s medical examiner ruled both men had ingested a fatal mix of fentanyl, lidocaine and cocaine.
During the trial, prosecutors said the crew lurked outside the nightclubs to exploit intoxicated patrons, befriending them before offering them drugs that rendered them unconscious.
After knocking out their victims, they used facial recognition technology to unlock their phones, then proceeded to drain their bank accounts and use payment apps to make thousands of dollars in purchases.
All three of the defendants were convicted of murdering Ramirez, while only Hamilton and DeMaio were convicted in Umberger’s death.
On Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Hamilton and DeMaio had been sentenced to 40 years-to-life in state prison. 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 said in a statement. “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 men said their clients intend to appeal their convictions.
Three other conspirators, Eddie Ashley, Shane Hoskins and Andre Butts, were previously arrested and reached plea deals in connection with the scheme.
The death of fashion designer Kathryn Marie Gallagher under similar circumstances in 2022 was eventually ruled a homicide and led police to suspect a second drugging-and-robbery crew was targeting the Lower East Side.
So far, only one man, Kenwood Allen, has been charged in relation to Gallagher’s case. He was ultimately charged in a drugging spree that led to the deaths of five people.
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