BUFFALO, N.Y. — An Amherst Police detective has been implicated in connection with the investigation into Pharaoh's Gentleman's Club and its owner.
Amherst Police Detective Gregory Trotter appeared before Federal Judge Jeremiah McCarty on December 5 to acknowledge he had received a criminal complaint. It accuses Trotter of misleading FBI agents investigating the already indicted owner of Pharaohs Gentlemen's Club, Peter Gerace Jr.
The complaint says Trotter violated the law by "knowingly and willfully making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative or judicial branch of the Government of the United States."
Trotter has been put on paid administrative leave, according to Amherst Police Department which issued a statement to 2 on Your Side. "The Amherst Police Department is aware that a federal complaint has been filed in US District Court involving Gregory Trotter, an Amherst Police Detective...No further information will be provided."
According to the complaint, "Gerace has substantial contacts in law enforcement, including at the federal, state, and local level, and with members of the judiciary." Gerace was arrested in 2021 and indicted on charges of drug & sex trafficking as well as bribing an undercover DEA agent.
FBI agents interviewed Trotter on September 30, 2022. "The purpose of the interview was, among other things, to determine the extent of the relationship between Trotter and Gerace," the complaint said.
Their questions focused on an incident in 2019 when Gerace reported his Rolex watch had been stolen by a person identified in the complaint as "Victim," a former employee at Gerace's club who had previously cooperated with federal investigators.
The victim was arrested and interviewed by Amherst police, who contacted federal agents. The Federal agents interviewed the victim, who was allegedly threatened by people close to Gerace.
The complaint against Trotter said, "The Victim could not figure out how, and did not know, how..." people close to Gerace learned about the conversations with investigators. "Victim stated that she had not told anyone that she had provided information to federal law enforcement," the complaint said.
FBI agents interviewed Trotter in 2022 after they "identified Trotter as a detective of APD with a relationship with Gerace and who had been involved in Victim's arrest."
The complaint says Trotter was asked about his relationship with Gerace, the investigation of the stolen Rolex, and "his (Trotter) involvement in the arrest of Victim. Trotter's responses in each of the categories of inquiry was materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent."
According to the criminal complaint, Trotter told investigators his last interaction with Gerace was in 2017. "Trotter's statement was false, fraudulent, and fictitious because, in truth and in fact, and as Trotter then and there well knew, Trotter had provided Gerace with his personal cellphone number."
The complaint includes text messages between Trotter and Gerace in 2018 and 2019 leading up to Victim's arrest. One text from Trotter says, "It's Trotter. I talked to (redacted) yesterday. Thanks for the invite, but unfortunately, I have to work till 11 pm tonight."
The responding text says, "Is this your new number? I keep sending you messages, and I get no responses."
The complaint says, "Extraction data from Gerace's cell phone, which was seized on April 27, 2019, demonstrates consistent communications between Trotter and Gerace from December 20, 2018, when Trotter texted Gerace, thereby providing Gerace with Trotter's new phone number, until April 17, 2019, after Victim's arrest.
The complaint says Trotter falsely disavowed his role in investigating Gerace's stolen Rolex and the arrest of Victim. "The text messages between Gerace and Trotter reveal that Trotter was heavily involved in the case." It goes on to accuse Trotter of working with Gerace to arrest Victim.
"Let me know if you're going to get her," was one of the text messages quoted in the complaint allegedly from Gerace to Trotter, who responded, "I'll call you in a couple."
A following exchange included Trotter texting, "We have her."
The complaint against Trotter concludes by saying he and Gerace exchanged numerous messages leading up to the arrest of Victim and that there is probable cause to believe Trotter violated the law when federal agents interviewed him.