Prosecutors said one of the suspects was allegedly linked to a drug-related robbery of men visiting gay bars in New York City that involved two deaths.
Shane Hoskins, whom prosecutors have linked to the group of men allegedly responsible for the fatal overdoses of Julio Ramirez and John Ambarr, was charged with two counts of grand larceny and one count of identity theft, and drug delivery and then He was accused of stealing more $500 from two people in April 2022, according to an indictment.
The indictment alleges a scheme in which Hawkins, 31, and four unnamed co-conspirators would approach intoxicated people outside bars or nightclubs in Manhattan, engage them in conversation and then assault them “for the purpose of causing incapacitation.” From” will offer drugs.
Hoskins and co-conspirators would then steal their victims’ cellphones and credit cards and use the physical cards and information stored on the phones to transfer money and make purchases to themselves, the indictment claims.
The indictment also alleges that shortly after the theft, Hoskins tried to use the stolen phone and credit card to make purchases, including at a deli in Brooklyn.
Hoskins was arrested in August but re-arrested on upgraded charges on Thursday. His bail was set at $50,000. He was also accused of dacoity and conspiracy. His defense attorney and the New York County district attorney’s office declined to comment.
NBC News reported in November that a 21-year-old New York University student was robbed on April 8 after leaving an LGBTQ bar called The Q in Hell’s Kitchen — the bar Umberger was last seen at before his death. The student’s father said that his son and his son’s friend believed he had been drugged at some point after leaving the bar with three men they had met.
When the two regained consciousness, the father said, his son’s phone was missing, his bank accounts had been emptied using the Cash app, and his credit cards were maxed out. The student’s father said his son believed the attackers used his unconscious face to unlock his iPhone and bank accounts using Face ID.
A source familiar with the student’s case said Hoskins is accused of complicity in his robbery. Records also show that Hoskins was arrested in August in connection with an incident on April 8, the day the NYU student was robbed.
Two law enforcement officials said Wednesday that a Manhattan grand jury has indicted several undisclosed suspects in connection with the deaths of Umberger and Ramirez. Authorities did not specify how many suspects were charged with murder but said all were indicted on robbery charges that involved 17 victims.
Authorities alleged that the suspects were targeting the victims for financial gain and not because of their sexual orientation. However, he added that the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force is assisting with the investigation.
Umberger and Ramirez were found dead last spring after visiting gay bars in the city’s vibrant Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Family members have said the two left bars with at least one unidentified person before thousands of dollars were withdrawn from their bank accounts using facial recognition on their phones. This month – nearly a year after they were found dead – the New York City medical examiner’s office ruled their deaths to be homicides caused by “drug-facility burglaries.” Several drugs were found in his system, including fentanyl, lidocaine, and cocaine.
In the months following his death, more gay New Yorkers stepped forward with similar accounts. NBC News spoke to several gay men who said they survived similar incidents from December 2021 through October.
The medical examiner’s office confirmed Wednesday that it is investigating “several additional deaths under similar circumstances” to those of Ramirez and Umberger. However, it is unclear whether the victims were gay men found dead after visiting a gay bar, or whether they were connected to the alleged suspects.
A spokeswoman said the medical examiner’s office “could not comment further due to the ongoing criminal investigation.”