Two suspects have been charged with murder in connection to the homicide of Julio Ramirez and John Umberger, two gay men who were drugged and killed in separate incidents in New York. The two murders were part of a series of deadly druggings and robberies that took place last year in the city.

As reported by The New York Times, according to an indictment from a grand jury, two suspects, Jacob Barroso and Roberto DeMaio, were charged with the murder of 25-year-old social worker Julio Ramirez. DeMaio was additionally charged with the murder of 33-year-old political consultant John Umberger. Both suspects also face charges of robbery, grand larceny and conspiracy in connection to the cases.

Moreover, other suspects have been indicted in connection with the drugging and robbery scheme, including Andre Butts, who faces charges of robbery, identity theft, grand larceny and conspiracy; and Shane Hoskins, charged with robbery.

The suspects are believed to be part of a “crew” of attackers in a bigger drugging and robbery scheme in which Ramirez and Umberger were murdered in New York in May 2022. According to reports, on separate nights, the two victims had been coerced to leave New York gay clubs with the perpetrators and were then allegedly drugged, robbed and murdered.

Do you know the whereabouts of Jayqwan Hamilton, Robert Demaio, Jacob Barroso? The individuals are wanted in connection with two previously released homicide investigations. Any info call us at 800-577-TIPS or anonymously post a tip on our website https://t.co/TRPPY5zHV2 pic.twitter.com/12mqYMmHC4

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) April 1, 2023

Family members of the two victims reported that their bank accounts had been drained using facial recognition access on their phones. Last month, after the medical examination, their deaths were ruled as homicides caused by “drug-facilitated theft” as multiple drugs were found in their systems. According to the medical examiners, the victims would be “incapacitated to the extent that their ability to perceive events became diminished” while the robbery was happening.

In the months following reports of their deaths, many gay men in New York stepped forward with similar accounts to what happened to the two victims. In a number of non-fatal cases later investigated, survivors reported that police initially did not believe them when they reported the crimes and rather thought that they had simply taken drugs while partying.

Speaking to The New York Times, one of the survivors, Oscar Alarcon, said: “I don’t remember what happened there. I don’t remember how I left. Then I just woke up in a strange hotel lobby” and added that police “didn’t seem interested,” when he filed a report after noticing $2,000 was missing from his bank account.

Another gay man, Tyler Burt, said that police officers doubted the validity of his claim that he had been drugged. “It seemed like they thought being drugged wasn’t even a possibility. They said, ‘Maybe you were but that isn’t really relevant to the robbery’”, he said.