Three individuals from a sinister gang, armed with the dangerous drug fentanyl, were convicted on Monday for their involvement in a series of robberies and druggings in Hell’s Kitchen. Their targets were inebriated clubgoers, specifically targeting five gay men, two of whom tragically lost their lives.
A Manhattan jury convicted Jayqwan Hamilton, Robert DeMaio, and Jacob Barroso on all counts charged against them, including murder, robbery, burglary, conspiracy, and larceny, for the heinous crimes that killed political consultant John Umberger and Brooklyn social worker Julio Ramirez.
DeMaio burst into tears following the verdict, which took the jury roughly a day and a half to decide.
However, the families who had lost loved ones as a result of the merciless gang’s brutal acts received sweet justice.
“I feel like John and Julio were in heaven and rejoicing with the decision of the jurors, and I am so grateful to the jurors who came to the conclusion that they did — that they sacrificed so much time and paid attention and listened,” Linda Cleary, John Umberger’s mother, said afterward.
“John, my eldest son and closest confidant, was truly an exceptional individual,” she warmly shared. “He possessed an unwavering passion for his work and cherished his career. His enthusiasm for being in the vibrant city of New York was palpable. John’s magnetic personality made him the center of attention at every gathering, and he consistently radiated positivity and joy.”
According to prosecutors during the trial, the suspects, who were believed to be part of a larger robbery gang, administered drugs laced with fentanyl to Umberger, 33, and Ramirez, 25, with the intention of incapacitating them.
In March of last year, the medical examiner for the city determined that the cause of death for both individuals was “acute intoxication” resulting from a combination of fentanyl, cocaine, ethanol, and various other drugs.
Defense attorneys made their closing statements, acknowledging that their clients could be considered criminals. However, they vehemently denied that their clients were murderers. Additionally, they argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that the defendants were responsible for supplying the drugs.
During her closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Meghan Hast dismissed that notion as she guided the jury through the overwhelming amount of evidence that she claimed established the guilt of the trio.
“Did these men just happen upon people who took fentanyl on five different occasions?” she asked the jury.
“The idea that all this was accidental and that they simply profited from it — making them guilty of petit larceny — is the definition of an outlandish theory.”
Hamilton, 37, and DeMaio, 36, face charges for both Ramirez’s and Umberger’s deaths, while the third individual was solely charged for killing Ramirez.
In a statement after the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the trio “took advantage of people who were just trying to enjoy Manhattan’s vibrant nightlife.”
“These defendants were motivated by greed, and their callous behavior left two young men dead,” he said. “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.”
During the trial, it was revealed that the men began their brutal campaign on March 18, 2022, by robbing and burglarizing a man at Hyatt Union Square, according to prosecutors.
They carried on with their criminal activities during the spring season, frequently engaging in conversations with intoxicated men at popular West Side establishments. They would then incapacitate their victims with their potent concoctions and proceed to plunder their belongings.
In April, Hamilton and Barroso spotted Ramirez outside The Ritz bar in Manhattan and persuaded him to join them in a cab ride.
“Julio was given cocaine laced with fentanyl, causing him to go into respiratory failure in under 15 minutes,” Hast told the court, adding that otherwise, Ramirez was a “healthy 25-year-old man.”
When Ramirez passed out, the defendants seized his phone, emptied his bank accounts, and fled.
After leaving their young victim for dead in the cab, they embarked on a wild shopping spree at Prada, Capsule, and Sneaker Palace, using the victim’s money.
In the subsequent month, Hamilton and DeMaio encountered Umberger outside The Q NYC. Afterwards, they accompanied him to his townhouse around 6 a.m.
After a few minutes, Umberger found himself passed out on his bed. Hamilton and DeMaio took advantage of the situation and stayed for another half-hour, stealing from him, according to her account.
“[They] hit the jackpot, and they were not going to screw it up,” Hast told the court. “They had hooked a slightly older, very successful gay man. John clearly had money, and they needed time to transfer those funds.”
The sentencing of the convicted killers is scheduled for April 4.
