In a scheme that sounds like a movie plot, a criminal crew was arrested after allegedly intoxicating men with their charms (and booze) at bars in Manhattan and then robbing them to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to police.
An investigation that spanned 18 months brought down the operation targeting and exploiting drunk men at high-end bars in lower Manhattan, stealing credit cards and cellphones. Exclusive video obtained by NBC New York showed NYPD officers preparing to carry out five arrest warrants Tuesday morning.
Detectives said that once the crew marked a target, the women would get 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 happened.
"Once they get the victim’s property, they go to high-end stores where they have run charges of up to $100,000 to $200,000 per person," said NYPD Sgt. Matt Dougherty, of the financial crimes unit. "Next thing you know, you are waking up the next morning, property’s missing and you finally you log into your accounts — your money’s gone."
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Two members of the crew, Julián Pomales and Blerina Preluvkaj, faced a judge in Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday. Prosecutors say Pomales was the "ring leader" and allegedly directed women to chat up men and gain their trust before robbing them.
"They usually rent high-end hotels where they’ll bring the victim back for night," said Dougherty.
A victim who did not wish to be identified said he was "intoxicated also very tired," which is why he thinks he was targeted in Oct. 2022, just a few days after he moved to New York City.
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"I was someone they could rob," he told NBC New York. "By the time I left the bar and was trying to get back to our new apartment, they were able to get my wallet and they had my phone."
He said he was at a lounge bar on the Lower East Side and remembered two women approaching him, sharing drinks and then at some point, able to steal from him.
"My wallet, several credit cards including an American Express that 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 hoping that the court system will punish those who are responsible for this kind of operation, saying he "would love to see justice, however we define that."
Pomales and Preluvkaj face multiple charges including second-degree grand larceny. The alleged ring leader was denied bail due to a previous gun-related case that was also pending. Both defendants are scheduled to be back in court on April 16.
