D.A. Bragg, Mayor Adams and Commissioner Sewell Announce Murder & Conspiracy Indictment in Series of Fatal Nightclub Overdoses


April 18, 2023

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., Mayor Eric Adams, and New York City Police Department Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell announced today the indictment of JAYQWAN HAMILTON, 35, ROBERT DEMAIO, 34, JACOB BARROSO, 29, ANDRE BUTTS, 27, and SHANE HOSKINS, 30, for robbing individuals outside bars and nightclubs by drugging them in order to steal their cell phones, credit cards and other personal identifying information, causing the death of two victims, Julio Ramirez and John Umberger. The defendants are also charged with a conspiracy to commit these robberies.

All of the defendants are charged with Robbery in the First Degree and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree. The defendants are also charged with various counts of Identity Theft and Grand Larceny. HAMILTON, DEMAIO and BARROSO are charged with one count of Murder in the Second Degree; HAMILTON and DEMAIO are charged with a second count of Murder in the Second Degree.[1]

“Our entire city continues to mourn the tragic losses of Mr. Ramirez and Mr. Umberger,” said District Attorney Bragg. “In addition to the pain their deaths have caused for their family and loved ones, I know that many other New Yorkers have feared for their own safety when going out to meet up with friends. I am grateful to our professional and dedicated team for their hard work, along with the detectives at the NYPD who were outstanding partners throughout this entire investigation. If other members of the public believe they have been the victims of similar incidents, I encourage them to call our help line at 212-335-9040.”

“Our joint work in this case crystallizes the NYPD’s commitment to bringing callous criminals to justice, particularly those who would turn illegal drugs into weapons to prey on the innocent,” said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Our sustained investigation has built the strongest possible prosecution to hold these defendants accountable and I want to thank the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, our NYPD detectives, and all of our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to achieve justice.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, from March 2021 to July 2022, the defendants conspired to forcibly steal property from their victims using dangerous substances. They offered substances to people exiting bars and nightclubs, intending to incapacitate them or to otherwise inhibit their ability to perceive their surroundings. The defendants would then steal cell phones or credit cards from their victims in order to make unauthorized purchases and money transfers. The defendants then divided the proceeds between themselves.

On April 8, 2022, HAMILTON, BARROSO, BUTTS and HOSKINS identified and approached a 22-year-old victim at The Q NYC nightclub in Midtown. They later entered the victim’s apartment, where they offered illicit drugs to two individuals. They stole their property including a cell phone, laptop, wallet, credit card, and prescription medicine.

On April 21, 2022, HAMILTON and BARROSO approached Julio Ramirez outside of The Ritz Bar in Midtown. Less than an hour later, they left him incapacitated in a cab. The victim died from a combination of drugs and other substances, including fentanyl, P-fluorofentanyl and heroin. They then stole the victim’s cell phone and other property. DEMAIO, charged as an accomplice and co-conspirator, stole $3,200 from the victim via unauthorized Zelle transactions. HAMILTON and BUTTS then purchased sneakers using the credit card information on the victim’s cell phone.

On May 14th, HAMILTON approached a 28-year-old victim outside The Ritz Bar and provided him with a substance to inhale. HAMILTON then stole the victim’s cell phone, which was used to make unauthorized transactions.

On May 28th, HAMILTON and DEMAIO approached John Umberger who was leaving The Q NYC.  Less than 90 minutes later, they left him incapacitated in an apartment. He died from a combination of drugs and other substances, including fentanyl and P-fluorofentanyl. HAMILTON stole thousands of dollars from the victim’s credit card accounts and, along with BUTTS, made multiple unauthorized purchases totaling over $3,500.

Members of the public who believe they have been the victim of similar incidents should call the Office’s helpline at 212-335-9040. 

The case is being handled by Assistant D.A.s Emily Ching, Elizabeth Barry, Matthew Lindenmuth and Megan Mers and Special Assistant D.A. David Drucker, under the supervision of Trial Bureau 60 Deputy Bureau Chiefs Harrison Schweiloch and Annie Siegel and Bureau Chief Charles Whitt. Paralegals Brianna Adams, Mimi Ahmed, Nehemie Eloiseau and Lev Gordon; Analysts Alexander Fogg, Sasha Hodson and Alice Hur; Forensic Accountant Investigator Jeff Leap; and the High Technology Analysis Unit all assisted with the investigation.

D.A. Bragg thanked Manhattan North Homicide Squad Detectives Randy Rose and Alex Argiro; Manhattan South Homicide Squad Detectives Joseph Cohen and Scott Williams; 7th Precinct Squad Detective Christopher Brinkley; 19th Precinct Detective Squad, including Detectives John Christmann and Daniel Faughnan; Grand Larceny Squad Police Officer Jason Rosen; Manhattan Warrant Squad Detectives Christopher Heredia, Michael Leclair and Keith McNicholl; and the 9th Precinct, 84th Precinct, and 121st Precinct.

The District Attorney’s Office has an ongoing investigation into a separate string of fatal overdoses, which resulted in the indictment of Kenwood Allen in December 2022.

Defendant Information:
JAYQWAN HAMILTON, a/k/a “Whoopty,” “Hat” and “Justin”
Brooklyn, New York
Charged:

  • Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-I felony, two counts
  • Robbery in the First Degree, a class B felony, six counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, three counts
  • Identity Theft in the Second Degree, a class E felony, one count
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, two counts
  • Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts
  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

ROBERT DEMAIO a/k/a “Rambo”
Brooklyn, New York

Charged:

  • Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-I felony, two counts
  • Robbery in the First Degree, a class B felony, five counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, three counts
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, two counts
  • Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

JACOB BARROSO a/k/a “Mikedawhite,” “Mikeywhite,” “Jake Da Ruler”
New Britain, Connecticut

Charged:

  • Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-I felony, one count
  • Robbery in the First Degree, a class B felony, three counts
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, one count
  • Identity Theft in the Second Degree, a class E felony, one count
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, one count
  • Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

ANDRE BUTTS a/k/a “Dra,” “Dre”
Brooklyn, New York

Charged:

  • Robbery in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
  • Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, one count
  • Identity Theft in the Second Degree, a class E felony, one count
  • Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, one count
  • Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts
  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

SHANE HOSKINS
New York, New York

Charged:

  • Robbery in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
  • Identity Theft in the Second Degree, a class E felony, one count
  • Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts
  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.