A California biomedical researcher, 42-year-old Serhat Gumrukcu, a man who claimed to have found the cure for HIV, was convicted, along with three other men, for the murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of Gregory Davis, Gumrukcu’s former business partner and the father of six.
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According to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Vermont, Gumrukcu was convicted of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on April 18, 2025.
“Serhat Gumrukcu is a ruthless criminal whose greed drove him to order the death of his own business partner,” FBI Special Agent Craig L. Tremaroli said. “Today, our thoughts are with Gregory Davis’s family.”
Gumrukcu faces a mandatory life sentence. However, his sentencing was continued by the court until November 24, 2025.
Murder-For-Hire
As per a recent release, which cited court records and evidence presented during Gumrukcu’s trial, what eventually led to Davis’ murder was what was supposed to be a multi-million-dollar biotech merger. The merger in question involved Gumrukcu over his alleged discovery of an HIV cure.
However, Davis, a former business partner of Gumrukcu’s, threatened legal action over a separate, past oil commodities transaction. This same transaction led to the researcher’s wire fraud conviction.
To secure the merger and silence Davis, Gumrukcu recruited the help of his close friend, Berk Eratay. Eratay then contacted an intermediary, Aron Ethridge, who in turn hired Jerry Banks to kill Davis.
On January 6, 2018, Banks posed as a Deputy U.S. Marshall and abducted Davis from his home in Danville, Vermont. A day later, Davis was found dead in a snowbank close to his home. As per the New York Post, Davis was a father of six, and his wife was pregnant with his seventh child at the time.
The FBI interviewed Serhat Gumrukcu twice after investigators reviewed messages showing the tension between him and Davis. He lied on both occasions, as per the release.
Eventually, digital evidence, including emails, purchase records, banking documentation, and cellphone location information, led to the arrests of Gumrukcu, Eratay, Ethridge, and Banks.
Banks was sentenced to 200 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Ethridge was sentenced to 140 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Finally, Eratay was sentenced to 110 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.