Global Courant 2023-04-19 06:47:48
Five men in New York City were charged Tuesday for allegedly carrying out a scheme that drugged suspects before robbing or even killing them, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, along with Mayor Eric Adams and New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, announced the indictment of Jayquan Hamilton, 35, of Brooklyn; Robert Demaio, 34, of Brooklyn; Jacob Barroso, 29, of New Britain, Connecticut; Andre Butts, 27, of Brooklyn; and Shane Hoskins, 30, of New York City.
The NYPD released this footage of three of the suspects, Jayqwan Hamilton, Robert Demaio and Jacob Barroso on Friday, March 31, 2022. (NYPD)
All five suspects face charges of first-degree robbery, fourth-degree conspiracy, and several other counts of identity theft and grand larceny.
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According to a press release from Bragg’s office, the five men are accused of drugging individuals they met outside bars and nightclubs so they could steal their cell phones, credit cards and other personal information.
Hamilton, Demaio and Barroso are also charged with manslaughter.
John Umberger, who died in Manhattan in May after going to a gay bar. (Photo provided by Linda Clary) Julio Ramirez was found dead in the back of a taxi in Manhattan in April. (Fox 5/Linda Clary)
The press release stated that from March 2021 to July 2022, the five men hatched a plan to forcibly steal property from their victims using drugs.
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They identified people walking out of bars or nightclubs with the intent of incapacitating them or interfering with their perception of their surroundings, the prosecutor said, before taking their cellphones and credit cards, making money transfers and dividing the proceeds.
For example, on April 8, 2022, Hamilton, Barroso, Butts, and Hoskins allegedly approached a 22-year-old at a downtown nightclub, entered the victim’s apartment, offered the victim and another individual drugs, and then used a mobile phone, laptop stolen. , wallet, credit card and prescription drugs.
In another incident on April 21, 2022, Hamilton and Barroso met Julio Ramirez outside the Ritz Bar.
The investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 32,000 fentanyl pills with a street value of $1 million. (NYC Special Narcotics District Attorney)
“Less than an hour later they left him incapacitated in a taxi,” the release read, adding that Ramirez died of a combination of drugs including heroin, fentanyl and P-fluorofentanyl.
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The suspects are then accused of stealing several things from Ramirez, including a cell phone, before Demaio, who was charged with complicity, allegedly made several unauthorized transactions amounting to $3,200.
Hamilton and Butts were also charged with purchasing sneakers using credit card information stored on Ramirez’s phone.
The two men also allegedly met John Umberger on May 28 as he left The Q in New York City.
Nearly an hour and a half later, Umberger lay dead in his apartment with a combination of fentanyl, P-fluorofentanyl, and other drugs in his system.
Hamilton is accused of taking thousands of dollars from Umberger’s credit card accounts, while he and Butts reportedly made more than $3,500 in unauthorized purchases.
The investigation is ongoing and the OM is encouraging anyone who believes they have been the victim of similar incidents to call the helpline at 212-335-9040.
“Our entire city continues to mourn the tragic loss of Mr. Ramirez and Mr. Umberger,” Bragg said. “In addition to the pain their deaths have caused their families and loved ones, I know many other New Yorkers have feared for their own safety when they go out to meet up with friends.”
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The district attorney’s office also said it has an ongoing investigation into a separate series of fatal overdoses, which ultimately led to the December 2022 indictment of Kenwood Allen.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
