Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Tommy Kalogiros, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging RAMEL DECKARD, DASHAWN HAMPTON, and TALIEK PAYNE in connection with three armed robberies of women engaged in sex work at hotels in the Bronx. DECKARD, HAMPTON, and PAYNE were arrested and presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “These defendants, motivated by greed, allegedly targeted individuals engaged in sex work in the Bronx. Under the pretext of setting up appointments with the victims for sexual services, the defendants allegedly met the victims at hotel rooms and proceeded to rob them at gunpoint. My Office is committed to doing everything possible to protect the people in this District from violent crime.”
ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tommy Kalogiros said: “These arrests should send a strong message to those targeting the most vulnerable in our communities. The ATF/NYPD Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension Group will continue working tirelessly to detect, disrupt, and prosecute the most violent offenders. We hope that these arrests demonstrate to the victims of violent crime that ATF, along with our partners, remain steadfast in our resolve to deliver justice. Thank you to the New York City Police Department and to the Southern District of New York, two of ATF’s most valued partners.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “As alleged, these arrests are another example of our laser-like focus on combating violent crime and holding accountable anyone who endangers people on our streets. If you carry an illegal gun in New York City, and especially if you use that gun to terrorize our communities, you will be arrested and charged accordingly. Thanks to the combined efforts of the NYPD and our partners at the ATF and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the defendants in this case now face the prospect of significant federal prison time.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
On August 15, 2023, DECKARD met an individual who was engaged in sex work (“Victim-1”) at a hotel room in the Bronx for an appointment to exchange sexual services for payment. DECKARD subsequently displayed a firearm, demanded that Victim-1 go into the bathroom and sit in the shower, and then proceeded to steal personal possessions and cash from Victim-1. A still image of DECKARD at the hotel where he robbed Victim-1 is shown below:
On September 19, 2023, DECKARD and PAYNE committed another robbery of two individuals who were engaged in sex work (“Victim-2” and “Victim-3”) at a hotel room in the Bronx. Victim-2 and Victim-3 were spending time at a hotel room, when Victim-2 was notified by an individual, who advertised Victim-2 and Victim-3’s services online, that someone would meet Victim-2 at the hotel room later that day. DECKARD and PAYNE then went to the hotel room where Victim-2 and Victim-3 were located. After entering the hotel room, DECKARD displayed a firearm, and DECKARD and PAYNE stole personal items as well as cash from Victim-2 and Victim-3. During the robbery, DECKARD struck Victim-2 in the face with his elbow. Still images of DECKARD (left) and PAYNE (right) at the hotel where they robbed Victim-2 and Victim-3 are shown below:
On January 6, 2024, DECKARD and HAMPTON robbed Victim-1 at gunpoint a second time at a hotel room in the Bronx. At approximately 1:30 pm on January 6, 2024, DECKARD and HAMPTON traveled to the Bronx hotel room where Victim-1 was staying for an appointment to exchange sexual services for payment. After entering the hotel room, HAMPTON displayed a firearm, and HAMPTON and DECKARD proceeded to rob Victim-1 of her cellphone. DECKARD also demanded that Victim-1 give him the passcode to her phone, and HAMPTON asked Victim-1, in substance and in part, whether she wanted “to die over a passcode.” After Victim-1 gave them the passcode to her phone, HAMPTON used Victim-1’s cellphone to send $300 to his account using a payment application. A still image of HAMPTON (left) and DECKARD (right) at the hotel where they robbed Victim-1 is shown below:
The NYPD and ATF Strategic Patterned Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension (“SPARTA”) Task Force believes these defendants may be responsible for the robberies of other women in New York. Anyone with information about this or any other incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips on the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by sending a direct message to @NYPDTips on X, formerly known as Twitter. All tips are strictly confidential.
DECKARD, 34, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of, a crime of violence, each of which carries a mandatory seven-year consecutive sentence.
HAMPTON, 34, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and one count of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory seven-year consecutive sentence.
PAYNE, 34, of East Orange, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and one count of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory seven-year consecutive sentence.
The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF and NYPD, in particular, the SPARTA Task Force, which is composed of agents and officers of the ATF and the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith C. Foster and Georgia V. Kostopoulos are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
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