2nd Nevada suspect pleads not guilty in 2018 murder-for-hire of Danville man

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Another man accused in the 2018 murder-for-hire of a Danville man pleaded not guilty in federal court in Burlington Friday.

Berk Eratay, 35, arrived in Vermont from Nevada Thursday and was arraigned on charges of conspiracy to use interstate travel with the intent to kill Gregory Davis in January of 2018.

Authorities say Davis had been threatening to go to the FBI with information that Serhat Gumrucku, the co-founder of a Los Angeles-based biotechnology company, was defrauding him in a multimillion-dollar oil deal.

Court paperwork alleges that Eratay worked with Gumrucku, the alleged ring leader in the plot, to pay Aron Lee Ethridge $100,000 to set up the hit, which was then carried out by Jerry Banks, 34, of Colorado.

Ethridge last week pleaded guilty to his role in the multi-state scheme.

Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered Eratay to remain in federal custody until trial.

Nevada man pleads guilty in Vt. murder-for-hire scheme