Overview

• Jayqwan Hamilton and Robert DeMaio were sentenced to 40 years to life, while Jacob Barroso received 20 years to life for their roles in the scheme.
• The operation, which ran from March 2021 to June 2022, targeted patrons of Hell's Kitchen gay bars, using fentanyl-laced drugs to incapacitate victims.
• Victims Julio Ramirez and John Umberger died after being drugged, with the perpetrators using their unconscious faces to access banking apps and steal funds.
• Three additional co-conspirators pleaded guilty to related charges, while a similar crime ring in Manhattan's Lower East Side remains under investigation.
• The case has intensified scrutiny of crimes targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, prompting a 2023 initiative to re-examine unsolved cases involving this community.