Three males accused of drugging and robbing homosexual males in Manhattan are on trial.
Prosecutors say Jayqwan Hamilton, Jacob Barroso, and Robert DeMaio orchestrated a scheme exterior golf equipment.
Assistant District Legal professional Emily Ching mentioned, they have been “waiting in the wings to target” victims and, “all they wished was to come back up on a jackpot.” They then “left their victims unconscious and never respiration,” she mentioned.
Investigators say their actions led to 5 robberies that impacted 5 completely different males. Two males — 25-year-old Julio Ramirez and 33-year-old John Umberger — died as a part of the alleged scheme.
From March 2021 by July 2022, the defendants preyed on folks they noticed alone merely attempting to take pleasure in Manhattan’s night time life, investigators mentioned.
The defendants allegedly gave the victims medication, together with fentanyl and cocaine. As soon as the victims have been disoriented, the defendants stole their telephones after which drained their accounts, occurring purchasing sprees, prosecutors mentioned.
The protection contends the state cannot show the allegations.
“The way it was described it was cut and dry. We all know the world is not that way,” Dean Vigliano, DeMaio’s lawyer mentioned.
David Krauss, Barroso’s lawyer advised the jurors, “You make critical prices like this it’s important to provide you with proof, you’ll be able to’t make assumptions.”
By early afternoon, the primary witness, a survivor, was on the stand.
The witness mentioned two of the defendants got here to his resort, and afterwards he wakened groggy. He testified, “I used to be very disoriented and I had a numb empty feeling I had not skilled earlier than.”
He additionally mentioned he realized he not had his two telephones and there have been 1000’s of {dollars} of unauthorized prices on his accounts.
John Umberger’s mom who was in courtroom for opening later testified on the trial. She described her son as her greatest pal.
She obtained apprehensive in Could 2022 after she had not heard from her son in 4 days. She requested the police to do a wellness verify.
“I did learn from another officer that they had found John and John was dead,” she mentioned.
The prosecution says it’ll show its case with video, textual content messages and social media posts.
There have been two different defendants within the case, Shane Hoskins and Andre Butts, who each beforehand pleaded responsible, in accordance with the district lawyer’s workplace.
Hoskins pleaded to tried theft within the first diploma and Butts pleaded to theft within the first diploma. They each obtained a promised sentence of eight years, the D.A.’s workplace mentioned.
This newest trial might final just a few weeks.
