The twisted tale of gay bar predator Andre Butts reached its long-awaited courtroom climax Thursday, with the 30-year-old finally sentenced to eight years behind bars. Butts had pleaded guilty to multiple charges — two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy — in a case that sent chills through New York’s LGBTQ nightlife community. The calculated scheme targeted gay men at popular Manhattan bars between 2021 and 2022, drugging them with fentanyl-laced cocktails and robbing them while they were unconscious.
Butts wasn’t alone in this sickening operation. He was one of several men involved in what authorities describe as a “deadly and callous conspiracy,” which left two men — Julio Ramirez, 25, and John Umberger, 33 — dead. Prosecutors said that while Butts wasn’t charged with either of their deaths, he played his part in the operation, including using Ramirez’s credit card to splurge on sneakers — caught red-handed on surveillance video.
“This was not some petty pickpocketing,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. “This was a deliberate, targeted attack against gay men, exploiting the trust of nightlife and turning it into a hunting ground.” While three other men were convicted of murder, robbery, and conspiracy in the case, Butts took a plea deal, avoiding a much longer sentence — a move that’s raised eyebrows among activists and community leaders.
The impact on the LGBTQ community has been immense. Gay bars — long considered sanctuaries — were suddenly scenes of fear, suspicion, and loss. Friends and loved ones of the victims gathered at vigils, remembering lives cut short in the most senseless way. “Julio and John were targeted because they were gay. That’s the part people can’t forget,” said one friend of Ramirez.
Butts may be behind bars, but healing for survivors is ongoing. “While it is fortunate that the victims targeted by Mr. Butts survived,” Bragg said, “I know they are still suffering from the trauma of this incident and hope they can continue to heal.”
For New York’s queer nightlife, the sentencing is a small but necessary step toward justice. But the message is clear: LGBTQ spaces must be protected, not preyed upon.