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Julio Ramirez (left) and John Umberger (right) died after they were drugged and robbed in NYC in 2022
District Attorney Alvin Bragg was heavily criticized for dragging his feet in the case.
Three men who were part of a gang that drugged and robbed inebriated people, including gay men were sentenced to up to life in prison for the overdose murders of two of them. The case drew attention to District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who was accused of ignoring the group's actions.
Ayqwan Hamilton, 37, Robert DeMaio, 36, and Jacob Barroso, 32, were sentenced to up to life in prison for killing two gay men they picked up at Manhattan nightclubs in 2022. Both victims died after drinking cocktails laced with fentanyl and other drugs provided by the defendants.
Brooklyn social worker Julio Ramirez, 25, was found dead in the back of a taxi after he was drugged and robbed on April 21, 2022. He had been barhopping with a friend, Carlos Camacho, when the pair became separated at The Ritz Bar and Lounge. Ramirez had left the bar in a cab with three men, including Hamilton and Barroso. They stole his phone and left him to die in the cab while they stole $20,000 from his bank account. All three men were found guilty of killing Ramirez.
John Umberger, 33, of Washington D.C., was drugged, robbed, and killed after a night visiting gay bars in Hell’s Kitchen on May 28, 2022. He was last seen with a group of men exiting a taxi, and his body was found in a rented townhouse on June 1. His killers stayed at the townhouse to party next to his lifeless body. Only DeMaio and Hamilton were found guilty of killing Umberger.
DeMaio and Hamilton received sentences of 40 years to life in prison, while Barroso received a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. The three men were indicted in 2023 and convicted by a jury in February.
Related: Three convicted in murders of gay men in NYC
At trial, the state presented evidence from three other men who were similarly drugged and robbed by the defendants. They described meeting the killers after drinking at The Q NYC or The Ritz Bar, returning either to their hotel room or residence with the men, only to regain consciousness hours later. They all discovered their phones had been stolen and used to transfer large sums of money to the defendants and make purchases for clothing, shoes, and other items.
Related: Bay Area man convicted for attacking, robbing Grindr hookup
“Julio Ramirez and John Umberger were beloved by their friends and family and had incredibly bright futures ahead of them,” Bragg said in a press release. “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. 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.”
Bragg was heavily criticized early in the case after multiple victims came forward with similar stories, but said they were ignored by the district attorney’s office.
In 2022, Umberger’s mother, Linda Clary said Bragg was dragging his feet on bringing charges against the killers of her son.
“I can’t be quiet anymore. Word needs to get out, especially in the gay community, that they are targeting gay men,” Clary told The New York Post, later adding, “This same group of killers have drugged, robbed, and murdered countless young gay men in New York.”
In his press release, Bragg called out the cash transfer applications the killers used to steal money from their victims, saying the apps needed better security measures.
