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Victims of an audacious robbery scheme in New York City got a lesson in the fluidity of identity from students at the city's Harvey Milk High School, according to cops.

Five teenagers from the school, which serves lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, dressed as prostitutes to lure men seeking sex in Greenwich Village. Then they would rob their tricks, by claiming to be undercover cops conducting a sting. They handcuff the prospective johns and flash a phony badge.

In the last act of the drama, the teens would claim to be crooked cops, offering to let their tricks off the hook in return for cash, credit cards and PIN numbers they could use to loot their victims' bank accounts.

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In one case, the teens handcuffed a man to an iron fence; in another, police said, they brandished a gun. Their haul ranged from $85 in cash taken from one man to $1,200 withdrawn from another victims bank account with a PIN number he had given up in exchange for his freedom.

Police said at least six men were robbed by the group, who were arrested after an real undercover officer recognized one of the gang from a photograph taken by a bank surveillance camera. Detective Andrew Windler spotted one of the alleged robbers at 3am on November 6 in the Village, recognizing the red wig with blonde highlights from a picture snapped at an ATM.

Gerald (Kimberly) Howard, 17, was arrested, sporting a bright red sweatshirt to complement the wig, as well as a pair of handcuffs and a police scanner. Howard quickly led police to the other students, who were arrested later that day: Kevin (Keva) Williams, Brian (Whoopie) Gonzalez, Kelvin (Keesha) Howell, all 17, and Keenan (Channel) Oliver, 16.

The case has brought unwelcome publicity to the school, which has been portrayed as a haven for LGBT youth who were plagued by harassment from other students in the city's public school system. Two 16-year-old students and 17 year old from the school were arrested following a knife attack last month. They were charged with assault and menacing after an incident that began when a pedestrian outside the school shouted an anti-gay epithet.

The harassment cited by defenders of the Harvey Milk School is certainly genuine. However, the exploits of some of the students seem to suggest that they are not hot-house flowers who need to be protected in a segregated environment but street-smart survivors who could hold their own in any public school given minimal support from staff and administrators. There are about 170 students enrolled in the school, so the arrests of eight teens on felony charges within several weeks is significant.

According to at least one Harvey Milk student, however, the accused criminals were the exception rather than the rule at the school. Nick Lopez, who shared several classes with the accused robbers, told the New York Post that "They were bullies, picking on new trannies in school."

Kimberly, Keva, Whoopie, Keesha and Keenan were also known in school for their fashion sense, which they were apparently able to indulge with the fruits of their criminal enterprise. They favored Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana apparel, elaborate hair weaves, jewelry and "tons of lip gloss," according to another classmate, 18-year-old Amber Satine.