A man has been charged with five drug-related murders in New York City, including that of a fashion designer who worked with Lady Gaga.
Kenwood Allen, 33, is accused of being part of a widespread drug and robbery campaign in the city.
He was charged with the murder of designer Kathryn Gallagher, Manhattan prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Gallagher, 35, was found lifeless in her bed by her neighbor in July last year. Accordingly, there were no clear signs of trauma The daily beast.
When she was discovered, the front door of her apartment was open and the keys were still in the lock. The cause of death was unclear until the coroner determined she died of “acute intoxication” from a drug cocktail.
The indictment, released Wednesday, said Mr Allen is suspected of three murders in addition to the two murders he was charged with last year.
Mr Allen is said to have worked both alone and with a group of others when he committed a series of robberies between March and December last year. He is said to have drugged his victims with fentanyl and other opioids in order to steal credit cards, watches, phones and other items from them. He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
According to the authorities, he would then empty their accounts at ATMs and charge the victims’ credit cards multiple times.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, a total of 21 victims were involved in the “drug, robbery and theft spree,” five of whom died.
The three other murders that Mr Allen was charged with on Wednesday allegedly occurred on July 22, July 23 and August 6 last year.
The New York Supreme Court indictment includes 10 counts of second-degree murder, 13 counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, 11 counts of second-degree assault and two counts of attempted first-degree robbery, three counts of grand theft fourth degree, three third degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one fourth degree conspiracy count.
The ten counts of murder, two for each of the five who died, include one count of depraved indifference to human life and one count of abetting another crime.
“These allegedly harmful drug and robbery plots have left far too many families grieving the loss of loved ones,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “The diligent and meticulous work of our prosecutors and the NYPD has led us to charge this individual with a felony count that now includes five murders — four of which occurred in just 15 days last summer.” We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners are working together to proactively detect and investigate these incidents.”
The Manhattan DA said in a press release that “All of his victims administered fentanyl and other opioids in most incidents to steal their credit cards, watches, phones and other personal identification information.” Many of the victims were later found unconscious on the street. He would then withdraw cash from ATMs and use the stolen credit cards to make purchases and transfer money.”
Fashion wrote that Ms Gallagher was “a hands-on handyman” who was “very independent and sure of her vision”. Her pieces have been performed by Chrissy Teigen, Kourtney Kardashian, Rita Ora, Laverne Cox and members of the New York Ballet.
“Katie launched her own clothing line, Katie Gallagher, in New York City in 2010. Under this label, she completed 26 collections that premiered during New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week,” her obituary reads.
“She was unique, beautiful, smart, fearless and always wanted something. She was hardworking and talented and had so many ideas and plans for future projects.” “We are so proud of who she was and what she accomplished in her short but fulfilling and beautiful life.”
According to police, in one of the robberies, perpetrators smeared a white powder containing fentanyl under a victim’s nose and in another, offered the drug-laced marijuana.
They targeted people who were active in the Lower Manhattan nightlife scene and appeared to be wealthy, waiting for them to exit the club before backing them up against the wall to take what they had.
New York City Police Department Chief Detective James Essig said Thursday that “they struck her down.” The New York Times.
Mr Allen was charged in December in the deaths of Nurbo Shera and Ardijan Berisha. On Wednesday he was charged in the deaths of Ms Gallagher, 25-year-old student Alexander Rudnitsky and 33-year-old Sadath Ahmed.
Sean Shirley, 36, is charged with the drug deaths of Mr Rudnitsky and Mr Ahmed. On Thursday he was charged with second-degree murder, robbery and grand larceny. He also pleaded not guilty.
Assistant District Attorney Brian Rodkey told the court that Mr. Allen and Mr. Shirley “robbed them and left them on the street, not caring if they lived or died,” they said The New York Times.
The Gallagher family said in a statement they hope the case will draw people’s attention to how fentanyl and other drugs have been used “as weapons against innocent people”.
“The number of confirmed victims at this point is shocking. “We are devastated by the magnitude of this collective and senseless loss,” the family said The New York Times.
In another case, five men were accused in April of drugging and killing people in Manhattan gay bars.