BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — There's yet another twist and turn in a federal court case connected to Peter Gerace — the owner of Pharaoh’s Gentleman’s Club in Cheektowaga.
He was indicted back in 2021 for allegedly paying bribes to a former federal agent to avoid criminal investigations and prosecution.
He's also facing charges of maintaining drug-involved premises, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
A motion was just filed in a separate federal case connected to Gerace.
A witness against him, Crystal Quinn, died from an overdose. Simon Gogolack is accused of giving her drugs.
In Gogolack's case, the government now wants a protective order to prevent anyone from sharing information or details about witnesses ahead of trial saying there are "legitimate fears of witness tampering and retaliation".
Former State Supreme Court Justice Penny Wolfgang calls such a request very "unusual."
"The case involves witness intimidation, tampering with witnesses and above all else, the alleged murder of a witness, as we know, because we've heard a lot about this Crystal Quinn, who was allegedly murdered by drugs by the defendant, allegedly, so she would not be a witness. So all of these issues are more serious than usual and of course, they claim that organized crime is involved," Wolfgang said.
This request comes after the prosecutors say Gogolack "publicly and privately threatened to sell his discovery" and shared "a desire to retaliate against witnesses against him."
"What the government's trying to do is make sure that this information does not get out, the names of witnesses, you can imagine, the danger already proven, and also that they do allege that organized crime is involved and for all these reasons the government wants a protective order," Wolfgang said.
Prosecutors cite a recent threat in Gerace's case as an example. The motion says a member of a motorcycle group has a desire to see Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tripi and Chief Judge Elizabeth Wolford "executed' during Gerace's trial.
"It's not just pie in the sky, 'Oh, this could happen, that can happen,' because they claim right in the papers that a witness has already been murdered, so it's not something to be taken lightly," Wolfgang said.
Judge Wolfgang said this motion requests everything be kept under wraps between the prosecutors and defense until the trial starts.
"Once this trial starts, it's going to be public and then we'll know where the witnesses are, and then we'll know what the wiretap taps are, the phone calls and all the evidence," she said.
