NY officials on overdose deaths linked to robberies

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., Mayor Eric Adams, and New York City Police Department Commissioner announced the indictment of five individuals for robbing individuals outside bars and nightclubs by drugging them in order to steal their cell phones, credit cards and other personal identifying information, causing the death of two victims.

All of the defendants were charged with robbery in the first degree and conspiracy in the fourth degree, as well as various counts of identity theft and grand larceny. According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, from March 2021 to July 2022, the defendants conspired to forcibly steal property from their victims using dangerous substances.

They offered substances to people exiting bars and nightclub, intending to incapacitate them or to otherwise inhibit their ability to perceive their surroundings. The defendants would then steal cell phones or credit cards from their victims in order to make unauthorized purchases and money transfers.