A man suspected of being the leader of a group that carried out a series of druggings and robberies at gay bars in New York City has been arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy.
Jiquan Hamilton turned himself in to police on Tuesday in connection with 17 robberies between March 2021 and July 2022 in which two victims died from overdoses of fentanyl, cocaine, ethanol and other drugs in their systems.
Hamilton, 35, has been charged with two counts of murder as well as multiple counts of grand larceny, robbery, identity theft and conspiracy.
The man is believed to have led four others in a series of robberies that have terrorized New York’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene. John Omburger, 33, and Julio Ramirez, 25, both died of ring surgery due to “severe intoxication.”
“Their motive was simple: to make money,” Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg said Tuesday. “They approach people leaving bars and nightclubs late at night, engage them in conversation and offer them illegal and dangerous substances.”
Jiquan Hamilton turned himself in to police on Tuesday in connection with 17 robberies between March 2021 and July 2022 in which two victims died due to overdoses of fentanyl, cocaine, ethanol and other drugs in their systems.
The man is believed to have led four others in a series of robberies that have terrorized New York’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene. John Omburger, 33, and Julio Ramirez, 25, died of ring surgery due to ‘severe poisoning’
Hamilton’s four alleged associates, Andrew Bott, 27; Shane Hoskins, 30; Robert DiMaio, 34, and Jacob Barroso, 30, have been in police custody since March.
According to investigators, the group would meet victims at gay nightclubs in the Big Apple and then drug them without their knowledge.
On Tuesday, Prague was joined by Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Kishant Sewell during the news conference to announce Hamilton’s arrest.
Mayor Eric Adams said during the conference that the crimes were “clearly rooted in greed and a total disregard for the victims.”
Police said some of the robbery victims were flatmates of dead victims.
The story first broke after the disappearance of Ramirez, a social worker from Brooklyn, in April 2022.
He was last seen alive in surveillance footage leaving the Ritz Bar and Lounge on West 46th Street in a taxi with three men.
Police later find him dead of an AB overdose and without his wallet or phone.
“His cell phone was used to make numerous transfers from bank accounts and to buy sneakers,” said James Essig, the NYPD’s chief of detectives.
As the investigation intensified, the police discovered that $20,000 had been drained from Ramirez’s bank accounts.
Hamilton after he was arrested by New York City police on Tuesday
Hamilton was charged Tuesday with two counts of murder as well as several counts of grand larceny, robbery, identity theft and conspiracy.
Ramirez was last seen alive in surveillance footage in April 2022, leaving the Ritz Bar and Lounge on West 46th Street in a taxi with three men.
Two other men in the string of robberies and drug charges are caught in New York City
A month after Ramirez was discovered, Amberger disappeared after leaving Q NYC.
The Washington, D.C., political consultant was found on the fifth floor of a home on East 61st Street four days after he went missing.
Almost $25,000 drained from his accounts.
The cases were later linked by “similar patterns of facts,” Essig said.
Further investigation allegedly showed Hamilton on camera using the two victims’ credit cards.
The group’s alleged leader made unspecified “illegal purchases”.
In one of the videos, the crew is also seen entering the townhouse where Amberger’s body was found and they are seen driving a red Dodge Durango.
The car in question was leased to DiMaio, according to Essig.
Umberger, a D.C. political consultant, was found on the fifth floor of a town house on East 61st Street four days after he went missing.
After his death, police discovered that Amburger’s accounts had drained nearly $25,000
After DiMaio’s arrest, police said they found two more videos of them.
In one of the videos, Hamilton is seen with an “apparently unconscious” Amburger in the same position where the cops will later find him.
“In addition to the pain their deaths have caused their families and loved ones, I know that many other New Yorkers fear for their safety when going out to meet friends,” Bragg said Tuesday.
The investigation into this matter is still ongoing and the police are currently searching for any additional victims who may have been targeted.
“If other members of the public believe they have been victims of similar incidents, I encourage them to call the helpline at 212-335-9040,” the police said.
