John Umberger; Julio Ramirez (photo credit: Linda Clary/family photo)The deaths of two gay men who were found dead with their bank accounts drained have been ruled homicides caused by “drug-facilitated theft.”
Police have been investigating the two cases which happened separately. In both incidents, the men were seen leaving night spots in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
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Ramirez’s death in April was caused by “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin, cocaine, lidocaine and ethanol,” the medical examiner said.
The 25-year-old social worker was found dead in the back of a taxi an hour after being seen leaving the Ritz Bar and Lounge with three unidentified men on April 20.
His family has said that approximately $20,000 was drained from his bank accounts and that they believed he was drugged.
A month later, Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant, was found dead after he and two unidentified men left another popular Hell’s Kitchen gay bar, the Q.
The unidentified men transferred about $20,000 out of Umberger’s bank accounts and maxed out his credit cards, his mother, Linda Clary, said. She also believes her son was drugged.
Umberger’s death was caused by “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, cocaine, lidocaine and ethanol,” the medical examiner said.
Following news reports about the two incidents, many more gay New Yorkers have come forward with similar stories including accounts of grand larcenies at other New York City gay bars.
Read more at NBC News.
NEW: Julio Ramirez and John Umberger, two men who were found dead with their bank accounts drained after leaving NYC gay bars last year in separate incidents, were both homicide victims, authorities say. https://t.co/L7wpeZXNWj
— NBC Out (@NBCOUT) March 3, 2023