NEW YORK — Three men were convicted of murder Monday in a conspiracy to rob men leaving Manhattan nightclubs and bars late at night, plying them with potent and dangerous drugs and ultimately draining their bank accounts once they were incapacitated.
The 2022 deaths of Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social worker, and John Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant, were the result of “drug-facilitated thefts” and homicides, according to the medical examiner’s office. Ramirez died in a taxi of an overdose while Umberger was found dead a month later in a townhouse.
Lab tests showed both men had substances including fentanyl, cocaine and lidocaine in their systems when they died. Their families suspected foul play after discovering money missing from the men’s bank accounts.
“These defendants were motivated by greed, and their callous behavior left two young men dead,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. said in a statement Monday. “I know the families who lost their loved ones are still suffering from so much pain, and I hope this verdict can provide at least some measure of comfort.”
The defendants — Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, Robert Demaio, 36, and Jacob Barroso, 32 — were convicted of murder, conspiracy and robbery and face 25 years to life in prison. All three were convicted of the death of Ramirez while Demaio and Hamilton were convicted in Umberger’s killing.
Prosecutors have said the group targeted numerous men at bars and clubs, befriending them and offering them drugs. When the victims became incapacitated, they were robbed of their wallets and cellphones, which were used to make purchases and digitally siphon money from their bank accounts.
Police said in 2022 that they had identified at least five killings, including the deaths of Umberger and Ramirez. The deaths were attributed to different groups that used similar tactics but seemed to be operating independently. While Bragg said at the time that the crimes did not appear to specifically target gay men, the neighborhood where the criminal enterprise was focused has a high concentration of LGBTQ+ residents.