One of many suspects alleged to be linked to a string of drug-facilitated robberies of males who visited homosexual bars in New York Metropolis that included two deaths was arraigned on felony costs Thursday, prosecutors mentioned.
Shane Hoskins, whom prosecutors have linked to the group of males alleged to be liable for the deadly overdoses of Julio Ramirez and John Umberger, was charged with two counts of grand larceny and one rely of identification theft, accused of drugging after which stealing greater than $500 from two individuals in April 2022, based on an indictment.
The indictment alleges a scheme by which Hoskins, 31, and 4 unidentified co-conspirators would strategy intoxicated individuals exterior bars or nightclubs in Manhattan, interact them in dialog after which supply them medication “for the aim of inflicting their incapacitation.”
Hoskins and co-conspirators would then steal their victims’ cellphones and bank cards and use the bodily playing cards and knowledge saved on the telephones to switch cash to themselves and make purchases, the indictment claims.
The indictment additionally alleges that within the instant aftermath of the theft, Hoskins tried to make use of the stolen cellphone and bank cards to make purchases, together with at a deli in Brooklyn.
Hoskins had been arrested in August however was re-arrested on upgraded costs Thursday. His bail was set at $50,000. He was additionally charged with theft and conspiracy. His protection legal professional and the New York County district legal professional’s workplace declined to remark.
NBC Information reported in November {that a} 21-year-old New York College scholar was robbed on April 8 after having left an LGBTQ bar in Hell’s Kitchen referred to as The Q — the bar Umberger was final seen at earlier than his demise. The scholar’s father mentioned his son and his son’s pal imagine they have been drugged sooner or later after they left the bar with three males they’d simply met.
When the 2 regained consciousness, the daddy mentioned, his son’s cellphone was lacking, his financial institution accounts had been emptied utilizing money apps, and his bank cards had been maxed out. The scholar’s father mentioned his son believes the assailants used his unconscious face to unlock his iPhone and financial institution accounts utilizing Face ID.
A supply conversant in the coed’s case mentioned Hoskins was alleged to have been concerned in his theft. Information additionally present that Hoskins’ arrest in August was in reference to an incident on April 8, the day the NYU scholar was robbed.
Two regulation enforcement officers mentioned Wednesday {that a} Manhattan grand jury has indicted a number of unidentified suspects in reference to the deaths of Umberger and Ramirez. The officers didn’t specify what number of suspects have been charged with homicide however mentioned all have been indicted on theft costs in a sample that concerned 17 victims.
The officers alleged that the suspects have been concentrating on victims for monetary acquire and never due to their sexual orientation. Nevertheless, they added that the New York Metropolis Police Division’s Hate Crime Job Power is helping within the investigation.
Umberger and Ramirez have been discovered lifeless after having visited homosexual bars within the metropolis’s full of life Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood final spring. Each had left the bars with a minimum of one unknown individual earlier than their financial institution accounts have been drained of 1000’s of {dollars} utilizing facial recognition entry on their telephones, relations have mentioned. This month — almost a yr after they have been discovered lifeless — the New York Metropolis health worker’s workplace dominated their deaths as homicides brought on by a “drug-facilitated theft.” A number of medication have been discovered of their methods, together with fentanyl, lidocaine and cocaine.
Within the months after their deaths, extra homosexual New Yorkers stepped ahead with eerily comparable accounts. NBC Information has spoken with a number of homosexual males who mentioned they survived comparable incidents from December 2021 to October.
The health worker’s workplace confirmed Wednesday that it’s investigating “a number of extra deaths in comparable circumstances” to these of Ramirez and Umberger. It’s unclear, nevertheless, whether or not the victims have been homosexual males discovered lifeless after having visited homosexual bars or whether or not they have been linked to the indicted suspects.
A spokesperson mentioned the health worker’s workplace they “couldn’t remark additional as a result of ongoing felony investigations.”
