NEW YORK — In a scheme that sounds like the plot of a movie, a criminal group was arrested after allegedly intoxicating men with their charms (and alcohol) in Manhattan bars and then robbing them to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. , according to the police.
An 18-month investigation brought down the operation that targeted and exploited drunk men in upscale bars in lower Manhattan, stealing credit cards and cell phones. Exclusive video obtained by NBC New York showed New York City Police officers preparing to execute five arrest warrants Tuesday morning.
Detectives said that once the team marked a target, the women forced them to leave a bar and go somewhere else. They would then take the victim’s belongings and spend as much money as they could before the victim realized what had happened.
“Once they get the victim’s property, they go to high-end stores where they have been charged between $100,000 and $200,000 per person,” said New York City Police Sergeant Matt Dougherty of the crime unit. financial. “The next thing you know, you wake up the next morning, properties are missing and you finally log into your accounts – your money is gone.”
Two crew members, Julián Pomales and Blerina Preluvkaj, faced a judge in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday. Prosecutors say Pomales was the “ringleader” and allegedly ordered the women to talk to the men and gain their trust before robbing them.
“Usually they rent luxury hotels where they take the victim to spend the night,” Dougherty said.
One victim who did not want to be identified said she was “intoxicated and very tired,” which is why she believes she was attacked in October 2022, just days after moving to New York City.
“I was someone who could be robbed,” he told NBC New York. “When I left the bar and was trying to get back to our new apartment, they were able to get my wallet and phone back.”
He said he was at a bar on the Lower East Side and recalled that two women approached him, shared drinks and then, at some point, were able to rob him.
“My wallet, several credit cards including an American Express with which they were able to spend a lot of money,” the victim said. “In terms of spending on the card, it was over $100,000.”
The victim now hopes that the judicial system punishes those responsible for these types of operations and says that “he would love to see justice, however we define it.”
Pomales and Preluvkaj face multiple charges, including second-degree grand larceny. The alleged leader of the ring was denied bail due to a previous weapons case that was also pending. Both defendants are scheduled to return to court on April 16.
2024-02-07 03:30:29
#Group #Allegedly #Attacked #Drunk #Men #Upscale #Manhattan #Bars #Steal
