BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A mistrial has been declared in the case of an Amherst police detective accused of making false statements to federal agents.
In a criminal complaint filed in December 2023, the FBI claims Trotter made false statements when questioned by authorities about his connection to Peter Gerace, Jr.
Gerace, Jr., the owner of Pharaoh’s Gentleman’s Club in Cheektowaga, was indicted back in 2021 for allegedly paying bribes to a former federal agent to avoid criminal investigations and prosecution.
In December 2024, a jury convicted Gerace of conspiracy to defraud the United States, bribery, sex trafficking conspiracy, maintaining a drug-involved premises, narcotics conspiracy, witness tampering and distribution of cocaine. Jurors acquitted him of one charge of witness tampering.
According to the complaint, Trotter is one law enforcement officer with whom Gerace had a relationship. Trotter was interviewed about that relationship on September 30, 2022. In the interview, "Trotter made a series of materially false, fraudulent, and fictitious statements that attempted to minimize his relationship with Gerace..." the complaint says.
A status conference for the case is set for October 22 before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
You can watch our report from December 2023 below and read more here.
