洛杉矶男子买凶杀害生意伙伴 佛蒙特州联邦陪审团裁定罪名成立
在佛蒙特州伯灵顿市，联邦陪审团4月18日裁定，加利福尼亚州洛杉矶市居民 Serhat Gumrukcu 买凶谋杀、共谋买凶谋杀与共谋电信诈骗罪名成立。美国司法部说，案件经首席法官 Christina Reiss 主审、历时五周庭审，42岁的 Gumrukcu 自2022年5月被捕后一直被羁押，量刑日期尚未排定；按陪审团裁决，他依法将面临强制终身监禁。
法庭记录与庭审证据显示，这桩谋杀源于一笔失败的石油商品交易：受害人 Gregory Davis 曾就 Gumrukcu 在交易中的角色威胁要采取法律行动。司法部说，Gumrukcu 当时正就一笔数百万美元的生物技术合并交易进行谈判，交易涉及他声称发现的一种治愈 HIV 的方法，他尤其想让 Davis 闭嘴。Gumrukcu 通过密友 Berk Eratay 辗转中间人 Aaron Ethridge，雇来杀手 Jerry Banks。2018年1月6日，Banks 冒充联邦法警副官，从 Davis 位于佛蒙特州 Danville 的家中将他绑走；次日，Davis 的遗体在离家不远的一处雪堆中被发现。
调查人员很快发现了 Gumrukcu 与 Davis 因石油交易反目的电子邮件与信息记录，Gumrukcu 两次接受联邦调查局问话时都作了虚假陈述。手机定位信息、购买记录、银行文件、电子邮件与信息记录，最终指认了造成 Davis 被绑架与死亡的四名共谋者。
代理联邦检察官 Michael P. Drescher 说：「Serhat Gumrukcu 试图把自己在谋杀 Greg Davis 一案中的角色藏起来：付钱给一个人，那个人再付钱给另一个人，再由那个人付钱给杀手，杀手在一个一月的夜晚于佛蒙特州枪杀了 Greg Davis。」联邦调查局特别探员主管 Craig L. Tremaroli 说，Gumrukcu 是个冷酷的罪犯，贪婪驱使他下令杀死自己的生意伙伴。案件由助理联邦检察官 Paul Van de Graaf 与 Zachary Stendig 出庭公诉。（来源：美国司法部）
Los Angeles Man Convicted by Vermont Federal Jury of Murder-for-Hire Against Business Partner
In Burlington, Vermont, a federal jury on April 18 convicted Serhat Gumrukcu, of Los Angeles, California, of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice said the case was tried over five weeks before Chief Judge Christina Reiss; Gumrukcu, 42, has been held in custody since his arrest in May 2022, sentencing had not been scheduled, and based on the verdict he faces a statutorily mandated sentence of life imprisonment.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the murder grew out of a failed oil commodities transaction: Gregory Davis had threatened legal action over Gumrukcu's role in the deal. Prosecutors said Gumrukcu, who was negotiating a multi-million-dollar biotech merger involving his alleged discovery of a cure for HIV, was particularly motivated to silence Davis. Gumrukcu relied on his close friend Berk Eratay to arrange, through a second intermediary, Aaron Ethridge, the hiring of hitman Jerry Banks. On January 6, 2018, Banks posed as a Deputy U.S. Marshal and abducted Davis from his home in Danville, Vermont; on January 7, Davis's body was found in a snowbank a short distance from his home.
Investigators quickly discovered emails and messaging showing the tension between Gumrukcu and Davis over the failed oil deal, and Gumrukcu made false statements in each of two interviews with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Cellphone location information, purchase records, banking records, emails and messaging led to the identification of the four conspirators who caused Davis's kidnapping and death.
Acting U.S. 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." FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli called Gumrukcu a ruthless criminal whose greed drove him to order the death of his own business partner. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig prosecuted the case at trial. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
来源：美国司法部
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：位于佛蒙特州伯灵顿市的联邦大楼、邮局与法院大楼，美国联邦地区法院佛蒙特区设于此楼（资料图）。图：CC BY-SA 4.0，via Wikimedia Commons / Photo: The Federal Building, Post Office and Courthouse in Burlington, Vermont, home to the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont (file photo). Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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