In a shocking turn of events, three individuals were convicted on Monday for their involvement in a chilling series of crimes involving murder, robbery, and conspiracy linked to a heinous drugging and robbery operation that sent shockwaves through the New York City gay bar scene, resulting in the tragic deaths of two individuals. The perpetrators, namely Jayqwan Hamilton, Robert Demaio, and Jacob Barroso, were met with a unanimous guilty verdict across all charges after a lengthy three-week trial held in downtown Manhattan. Prosecutors leveled accusations against the trio, claiming that they colluded to drug and rob a total of five men over a span from March 2021 to June 2022, with the scheme culminating in the heartbreaking loss of two lives — 25-year-old Julio Ramirez and 33-year-old John Umberger.
The accused trio was alleged to have preyed upon unsuspecting individuals enjoying the vibrant nightlife of Manhattan. The heinous nature of their crimes only came to public attention in May 2022 when an investigative report by NBC News shed light on the mysterious circumstances surrounding Ramirez’s death. According to prosecutors, the defendants administered drugs, such as fentanyl and cocaine, to their victims, inducing a state of disorientation before callously stealing their phones and depleting their financial accounts through unauthorized shopping sprees. In a statement issued following the trial, District Attorney Alvin Bragg condemned the defendants’ actions as driven by greed, lamenting the tragic loss of two young lives and expressing hope that the verdict would offer some solace to the families grappling with immeasurable grief.
Two additional defendants, Shane Hoskins and Andre Butts, had previously entered guilty pleas in relation to the case. Hoskins admitted to attempted robbery in the first degree, while Butts confessed to robbery in the first degree. Both individuals received a stipulated sentence of eight years, as confirmed by the district attorney’s office. The harrowing saga, as detailed above, initially surfaced through an exclusive report by NBC New York.
