Three men have been sentenced in federal court for their involvement in the murder-for-hire of Gregory Davis, which took place in Barnet, Vermont, on January 6, 2018. The sentences were handed down by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss on September 25 and 26, 2025.
The defendants are Berk Eratay, 38, of Las Vegas, Nevada; Jerry Banks, 37, of Gardener, Montana; and Aron Ethridge, 45, of Henderson, Nevada. Their sentences are as follows: Eratay received 110 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; Banks was sentenced to 200 months in prison with five years of supervised release; and Ethridge received a sentence of 140 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
A fourth individual involved in the conspiracy is Serhat Gumrukcu, 42, of Los Angeles, California. He was convicted by a jury on April 18, 2025. Gumrukcu faces a mandatory life sentence. His sentencing has been postponed until November 24, 2025.
Court records show that Gumrukcu solicited the murder due to threats from Davis regarding legal action over a failed oil commodities transaction. Gumrukcu’s conviction for wire fraud is connected to this fraudulent oil deal. He was also motivated to silence Davis because he was negotiating a multi-million-dollar biotech merger involving what he claimed was a cure for HIV.
According to evidence presented at trial, Gumrukcu asked his friend Eratay to help arrange the killing through an intermediary—Ethridge—who then recruited Banks as the hitman. On January 6, 2018, Banks posed as a Deputy U.S. Marshal and abducted Davis from his home in Danville, Vermont. Davis’s body was found the next day near his home in Barnet.
Investigators uncovered emails and messages that showed tension between Gumrukcu and Davis about the failed oil deal. These findings led to two interviews with Gumrukcu by the Federal Bureau of Investigation during which he made false statements. Further investigation using cellphone data and financial records identified all four men responsible for orchestrating and carrying out the crime.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised law enforcement agencies for their efforts: “I commend the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police for their collaborative investigation of Gumrukcu, Eratay, Banks, and Ethridge, and the crimes associated with Davis’s murder.” Drescher also thanked other agencies including Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and various law enforcement entities nationwide who helped identify those involved.
The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul J. Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig with support staff Karen Arena-Leene and Erin Thompson-Moran. Defense attorneys represented each defendant during trial proceedings.
