A jury has convicted a man from California after he reportedly claimed he discovered a cure for HIV. He then allegedly hired a hitman to kill a colleague who could expose him.
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According to a press release, the incident occurred back in 2018, although authorities brought it to court last week. The District of Vermont Attorney's Office released details on the alleged events on Friday.
Serhat Gumrukcu, a 42-year-old biomedical researcher, claimed he had found a cure for HIV. The alleged discovery instigated "negotiations of a multi-million-dollar biotech merger" with Gregory Davis. Court documents and evidence presented at the trial suggest that Gumrukcu solicited Davis' murder after Davis threatened him with legal action. The legal action reportedly stemmed from Gumrukcu's "role in a failed oil commodities transaction." The press release doesn't explain what this transaction entailed. However, authorities reportedly convicted Gumrukcu of wire fraud connected to the transaction.
Gurukcu reportedly hired a hitman, Jerry Banks, to kill Davis. He attempted to hide his tracks by hiring the hitman through a close friend, who then arranged the event through a "second intermediary." On January 6, 2018, Banks posed as a Deputy U.S. marshall and abducted Davis from his home. Police recovered his body the following day from a snowbank near his residence.
The Investigation Into The Hitman Plot Took Multiple Years
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher said "Serhat Gumrukcu tried to hide his role in the murder of Greg Davis by paying one man to pay another man to pay the hitman, who shot and killed Greg Davis on a January night in Vermont. Uncovering Gumrukcu's responsibility for this murder involved years of determined investigation."
Investigators reportedly discovered emails revealing tension between Gumrukcu and Davis. The FBI interviewed the researcher twice, and he made false statements on both occasions. Authorities eventually pieced the events together using cell phone locations, bank records, emails, and messaging between the four men.
The press release explains that authorities are holding Gumrukcu pending sentencing. Authorities have not set a date for the hearing and have held him in custody since his arrest in May 2022. If the Judge agrees with the Jury, Gumrukcu faces life behind bars.
