A former local strip club owner was sentenced in federal court in Buffalo Wednesday to 25 years for multiple convictions involving drugs and sex trafficking.
Peter Gerace learned his fate after several postponements. The 59-year-old was convicted by a jury in 2024 of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, drug trafficking and defrauding the United States, witness tampering, maintaining a drug involved premises and bribing a public official.
Prosecutors and jurors agreed Gerace used Pharaoh’s Gentlemen's Club, an exotic dancing club in Cheektowaga that he owned, as a haven for illegal activity, where he exploited dancers by fueling their drug addictions, providing them cocaine in order to get them to perform sex acts for himself and others on premises.
“The conduct Peter Gerace engaged in had a horrendous impact on the victims and negatively impacted the community,” stated U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo in a prepared statement. “My office will continue to pursue individuals who engage in such conduct and hold them accountable.”
Gerace’s sentencing is the latest development in a sprawling case involving accusations against law enforcers whom prosecutors say aided him in his operations.
Former federal Drug Enforcement Agency agent Joseph Bongiovanni was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, four counts of obstruction of justice, and one count of false statement to law enforcement.
According to the federal complaint, Gerace paid Bongiovanni in exchange for Bongiovanni using his position to dissuade other members of law enforcement from conducting investigations into Gerace’s activities at Pharaoh’s. He’s currently serving a 60-month sentence.
Amherst Police detective Gregory Trotter pleaded guilty in February to impeding or interfering with a federal officer. His sentencing is scheduled for May 22.
“Today’s sentencing of Peter Gerace sends a clear message that individuals who exploit vulnerable people for profit will be held accountable,” said Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Buffalo Field Office, in a prepared statement. “This case exposed the devastating impact of drug trafficking, public corruption, and human trafficking within Western New York. To those who have been exploited or trafficked: your life matters, and your voice matters."