Three men sentenced to decades in prison for murder in NYC gay bar drugging scheme

A Manhattan judge sentenced three men to decades in prison Wednesday for facilitating a yearslong drug-induced robbery scheme at New York City gay bars that ultimately killed two men.

A Manhattan judge sentenced three men to decades in prison Wednesday for facilitating a yearslong drug-induced robbery scheme at New York City gay bars that ultimately killed two men.

Jayqwan Hamilton, 37, Jacob Barroso, 32, and Robert DeMaio, 36, were found guilty in February of murder, robbery and conspiracy in connection with the scheme, which ran from March 2021 to June 2022. Julio Ramirez, 25, a social worker, and John Umberger, 33, a political consultant, were murdered in the scheme in spring 2022 .

All three defendants were convicted of murdering Ramirez. Two of them, Hamilton and DeMaio, were convicted of murdering Umberger. Hamilton and Barroso spoke at the sentencing Wednesday and maintained their innocence.

Julio Ramirez; John Umberger.Ramirez family photo; Linda ClaryHamilton and DeMaio were sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, and Barroso was sentenced to 20 years to life.

"This was a cold and calculated pattern," Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Felicia Mennin said at the sentencing hearing Wednesday. "I pity your lack of empathy. But pity will not translate into leniency in this case."