Three men who were convicted of robbing and fatally drugging men outside of Manhattan gay bars in 2022 were handed sentences of decades to life in state prison on May 21.
Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, and Robert Demaio, 36, were sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison, while 32-year-old Jacob Barroso was sentenced to 20 years to life, also in state prison. The day of sentencing comes three years after the men waited outside of gay bars and took advantage of club-goers by drugging them and using their victims’ phones to empty their bank accounts.
The three men were convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and fourth-degree conspiracy. Hamilton and Demaio were also convicted of first-degree burglary.
All three men were found to be responsible for the deaths of Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old gay social worker, and DeMaio and Hamilton were also convicted of killing 33-year-old John Umberger, of Washington, DC. All three were convicted in February.
DeMaio and Hamilton first engaged with Umberger outside of The Q nightclub around 4 a.m. on May 28, 2022, and the group subsequently went to Umberger’s boss’ townhouse, where Umberger was found dead. The Q nightclub shuttered in 2023.
Umberger’s mother, Linda Crary, told Gay City News on May 21 that she is grateful for the sentencing and praised those who made it possible.
“Hopefully this will prevent these men from hurting other people,” Crary said. “I also hope it sends a message to anyone even remotely considering targeting the LGBT community — don’t mess with this community! We will come after you if you do.”
Ramirez left The Ritz, a gay bar, at around 3 a.m. on April 21 and waited near the front of the bar for about 12 minutes. He was later seen walking with men around a corner and entered a taxi, where he was driven to the Lower East Side. The driver told a police officer that his passenger was not responsive, and he was pronounced dead at 4:49 a.m.
Shane Hoskins and Andre Butts, who were also involved in the scheme, were sentenced earlier this year to eight years in prison.
“Julio Ramirez and John Umberger were beloved by their friends and family and had incredibly bright futures ahead of them,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a written statement on May 21. “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.”
