New York’s gay community becomes the target of a gang that lures their victims into nightlife hotspots before drugging and robbing them, often using their own cell phones to drain their accounts.
Two gay men have so far been killed just five weeks apart in eerily similar circumstances, but more than a dozen are believed to have been targeted so far.
Both John Umberger, 33, a Washington, DC political adviser who disappeared in May, and Julio Ramirez, 25, who disappeared in April, had spent a night on the city’s gay scene before ending up dead the next day.
The men’s cell phones were gone by the time the bodies were found, and their bank accounts containing tens of thousands of dollars had been drained.
John Umberger, 33, a Washington, DC political adviser, was killed after leaving a New York gay bar in May
Julio Ramirez, 25, a Brooklyn social worker, was killed after leaving a New York gay bar in April
Detectives are believed to have identified suspects, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has been accused of “obstructing” the investigation into the men’s deaths, has made no arrests or charges
So far, five months after her death, there hasn’t been a word from the bright-hearted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who appears to be “obstructing” the investigation.
Not even the gay community was warned to look out for anything suspicious when going out at night.
The gang’s MO witnesses them hunting down gay men in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. In both cases, the victims were seen leaving a gay club or bar, accompanied by three men.
Finally, one of the men’s mothers now comes forward in a desperate attempt to draw attention to the sickening case.
“I can’t keep silent anymore. Word needs to get out, especially in the gay community, that they are targeting gay men. The same group of killers drugged, robbed, and murdered countless young gay men in New York,” Linda Clary, Umberger’s mother, told the New York Post.
“I can’t keep silent anymore. Word needs to get out, especially in the gay community, that they are targeting gay men. The same group of killers drugged, robbed and murdered countless young gay men in New York,” Linda Clary, Umberger’s mother, pictured at right
Umberger’s credit card was last used at 3am on May 28, 2022 at The Q NYC gay nightclub.
Umberger’s body was found four days later, on June 1, in a Midtown Manhattan townhouse where he resided
“New York is unnecessarily unsafe and it breaks my heart because John was so excited to be in Manhattan. He loved being there. He was a little sunshine.
“We have to stop this,” she continued.
By the time her son’s killers are at large, Clary believes the gang may have been killing other young men.
And while she’s grateful for the diligence of the detectives who are investigating Umberger’s death and have worked on identified suspects, she claims prosecutors “refuse to prosecute my son’s killers.”
Umberger had gone out on May 28 and visited The Q NYC, a gay nightclub with DJs, drag shows and stand-up comedy on multiple floors.
He had gone to the club alone after having dinner with friends at Tao Downtown in Chelsea.
Ramirez died of a drug overdose, according to toxicology reports
Security footage taken in the early hours of April 21 shows Julio leaving the Ritz Bar and Lounge, a gay dance club, with three unidentified men
Records show his credit card was last used around 3am. He was later seen being held on surveillance footage outside the Upper East Side townhouse where he resided.
Footage clearly shows him getting out of the car with two other men and entering the townhouse.
The couple then leaves after 45 minutes.
What happened in the hours after remains a mystery, as someone on Umberger’s phone appeared to be replying to text messages.
Eventually, his phone stopped pinging his location, but the text showed as “read,” so Clary assumed her son was safe.
“I thought John would read my texts but was too busy and ignored me. You let a day go by, a day goes by and then you say that’s weird.’
Her son’s body was found four days later in a fifth-floor apartment of a townhouse owned by Jay Sekulow’s American Center for Law and Justice, where Umberger was employed as director of diplomacy and political programs.
Umberger’s cell phone was used to transfer money from his bank accounts
Ramirez’s credit cards were also used to purchase expensive items at luxury stores
His credit cards were stolen along with his cell phone. The cards were used to buy alcohol near a homeless shelter, while items were also bought at a foot locker.
Additionally, $25,000 was drained from his accounts using various cash-related apps on his phone, including Venmo and PayPal, allowing gang members to change passwords to gain access.
Mom, Clary, who is from Atlanta, was in New York getting political over the weekend when she recorded a video message for a group supporting Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin for New York state governor.
“Lee Zeldin has promised to restore security in New York and fire District Attorney Alvin Bragg on day one. This election could be the last opportunity to bring my son’s killers to justice,” she said.
But it appears Umberger wasn’t the gang’s first victim.
Just five weeks earlier, Ramirez, a Brooklyn social worker, disappeared in a similar situation.
He was caught on security camera leaving The Ritz Bar and Lounge gay club, just two blocks from The Q NYC.
Again, three men were sighted as Ramirez left the club on a Thursday night in April.
An hour later, he was found dead in the back seat of a Lower East Side cab, his phone and wallet missing.
$20,000 had been withdrawn from his accounts using apps on his phone, including cell, while his credit cards were used to pay for expensive dinners and treatments at spas.
Umberger and Ramirez died of a drug overdose, according to preliminary toxicology reports, but sources said the couple spiked their drinks with a date sex drug.
It’s unclear what caused the long delay in getting the test results, but the Post suggests that Bragg’s office is likely overworked, thanks to “an unprecedented number of resignations from assistant district attorneys” who don’t like bail reform changes.
Before the pandemic, New York State introduced sweeping bail reforms to reduce the prison population for low-level offenders.
It released many repeat offenders back into the community.
Added to this in New York City was the election of District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who told his staff to avoid posting cash bail wherever they could.
It now envisages that staff at the prosecutor’s office will be ordered to stop looking for prison sentences and instead reduce criminal charges in some cases.