3 Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison in Connection with Murders of Men Lured from NYC Gay Bars

Three men convicted of murder after luring men from New York City gay bars, drugging them and robbing them, were given lengthy prison sentences.

Julio Ramirez, 25, and John Umberger, 33, died within months of each other in 2022, after both were drugged, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said. Other victims were also drugged and robbed on separate occasions but survived.

Three men, Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, Robert DeMaio, 36, and Jacob Barroso, 32, were convicted of murder, robbery and conspiracy in the death of Ramirez, while Hamilton and DeMaio were also convicted in the murder of Umberger.

Hamilton and DeMaio were sentenced to 40 years-to-life in prison, while Barroso was sentenced to 20-years to life.

“Julio Ramirez and John Umberger were beloved by their friends and family and had incredibly bright futures ahead of them,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a statement. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”

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Umberger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment in June 2022, prosecutors said. Ramirez was reportedly left for dead in a taxi in April.

They targeted Ramirez, a social worker, outside a bar in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, prosecutors said. The men drugged the 25-year-old with fentanyl before transferring money from his accounts.

Umberger was targeted in June, outside another Hell’s Kitchen bar. He was drugged before being taken back to his apartment by the men, who robbed him of over $2,000 and left him lying on his bed, prosecutors said.