Third suspect appears in Vermont federal court in murder-for-hire case, ordered detained

BURLINGTON — The third of 4 suspects in a murder-for-hire plot has made an look in a federal courtroom in Vermont, pleading not responsible to racketeering and homicide prices within the 2018 taking pictures demise of a Danville man.

Berk Eratay, 35, of Las Vegas was introduced by authorities Thursday from Nevada to Vermont. He appeared Friday in U.S. District Court docket in Burlington, the place he pleaded not responsible to the costs in opposition to him within the slaying of 49-year-old Gregory Davis in January 2018.

If convicted, Eratay faces as much as a life sentence or the demise penalty. He had been held in custody in Nevada since being arrested in Might, 

Prosecutors alleged in courtroom filings that Eratay had labored for Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles. In response to prosecutors, Gumrukcu was the chief of the plot as a result of he needed Davis killed. Charging paperwork said that Gumrukcu feared that Davis was about to go to the FBI with info alleging fraud by Gumrukcu in a “multimillion-dollar oil deal” between the 2.

Gumrukcu was arrested in Might in California on the identical federal prices as Eratay, and is at the moment in custody in that state. Gumrukcu is the one one of many 4 suspects within the case who has not been arraigned in federal courtroom in Vermont. No date has but been set for that continuing.

Jerry Banks, 34, of Colorado, who was indicted in April, was the primary particular person charged in Davis’ demise. Prosecutors have charged Banks with kidnapping Davis from his home in Danville on Jan. 6, 2018. 

Davis’ physique was positioned the next day in a snowbank, about 15 miles from his house. Prosecutors allege that Banks posed as a U.S. marshal, and advised Davis he had come to arrest him on racketeering prices. 

Though prosecutors described Banks in courtroom filings because the hitman who shot and killed Davis, he has been charged solely with kidnapping so far. Banks pleaded not responsible to the cost final month in federal courtroom in Vermont.

Aron Lee Ethridge, 42, of Henderson, Nevada, is the fourth suspect charged within the case and has already reached a plea take care of prosecutors.

He pleaded responsible earlier this month to homicide for rent and conspiracy to commit kidnapping with demise ensuing. Prosecutors mentioned Ethridge discovered and helped to instruct Banks, Davis’s alleged killer.

Prosecutors allege Ethridge acquired greater than $100,000 from Eratay and Gumrukcu as fee to “cowl bills for the homicide.” 

Ethridge is ready for sentencing in December. As a part of the plea deal, prosecutors can ask for a sentence of as much as 27 years for Ethridge; his legal professional can argue for a shorter jail sentence. 

Prosecutors alleged in charging paperwork that in 2017 Eratay contacted Ethridge, asking for his assist in killing Davis. Later, the paperwork said, Eratay advised Ethridge that he was appearing on behalf of Gumrukcu, that Gumrukcu was placing up the cash, and that Gumrukcu was mad with Davis over a failed enterprise deal.

Eratay, based on prosecutors, had labored beforehand for Gumrukcu, a biomedical researcher who has been residing in California. Each Gumrukcu and Eratay have been born in Turkey and each have labored as magicians, based on courtroom filings within the case.

Decide Geoffrey Crawford, who presided over Friday’s arraignment in Vermont, requested Eratay what line of labor he was employed in. 

Eratay replied that he runs two corporations “doing info know-how.”