Cheektowaga strip club owner set for trial on trafficking charges now dealing with witness tampering charges

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB)-- A Cheektowaga strip club owner set to go on trial on charges of bribing a DEA agent and conspiring to participate in drug trafficking and human trafficking charges was arrested Friday on witness tampering charges, his lawyer confirmed to News 4.

Peter Gerace, who owns Pharoah's Gentlemen's Club on Aero Drive in Cheektowaga, was prosecuted on 3 counts of witness tampering, implicated of sending out threatening Facebook messages to a prospective witness against him in his trial for the trafficking charges. In his Friday indictment, he is also facing one count of distribution of cocaine.

Gerace was prosecuted in March 2021 on the drug and human trafficking charges. The club had actually formerly been raided in 2019.

His lawyer, Steve Cohen, keeps that Gerace is innocent.

"My client preserves his innocence and is anticipating clearing his reputation at trial before an unbiased jury," Cohen stated in a declaration to News 4.

He was arraigned and remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals and is currently being held at the Niagara County Jail. However, Cohen states that it is without just cause. Cohen is co-counsel with Eric Soehnlein, Esq. in the event and Soehnlein appeared at Friday's arriagnment.

The Buffalo News was the first to report on this story.

Aidan Joly signed up with the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.