Pair deny role in homicide

BRYAN KOCIS KILLING: Gay porn business rivalry played role in Dallas Township man’s stabbing death in January, officials say

WYOMING – Two gay porn producers from Virginia Beach, Va., were driven to Luzerne County on Tuesday to face homicide and related charges in connection with the slaying of a rival gay porn producer in Dallas Township nearly seven months ago.

Harlow Edward Cuadra, 25, and Joseph Manuel Kerekes, 33, were arraigned separately by District Judge James Tupper in Trucksville.

“To answer your question, no, I didn’t do it,” Kerekes said before being taken to his arraignment.

The two men had fought extradition to Luzerne County for more than a month until they gave up their right to an extradition hearing in Virginia Beach General District Court on June 27. They were initially charged as fugitives from justice in Virginia when local investigators filed homicide and related charges against them on May 15.

State police at Wyoming and two Luzerne County detectives left Virginia Beach Jail with the pair at about 8 a.m. Tuesday and arrived at the Wyoming barracks just after 3:30 p.m. Three undercover cruisers were used in the six-hour drive from Virginia Beach to the Wyoming barracks, with Cuadra and Kerekes transported in separate cars.

The two men were cuffed at the wrists with their hands covered by protective nylon gloves, and shackled at the ankles. Each wore sneakers without shoelaces.

District Attorney David Lupas commended investigators, saying some spent up to 30 days away from their homes and families while traveling around the country.

“This investigation literally went coast-to-coast,” Lupas said. “Numerous man hours, thousands of miles logged on their vehicles, this was a complex investigation.”

Cuadra and Kerekes are accused in killing Bryan Kocis, 44, on Jan. 24 at Kocis’ Midland Drive home in Dallas Township. Kocis was stabbed 28 times and had his throat slashed. His body was found when firefighters responded to a blaze at his home.

Investigators maintain the two men killed Kocis, whom they considered their main rival in the gay porn production business. Kocis owned Cobra Video, based at his home, while Cuadra and Kerekes maintained an Internet-based gay production company.

Cuadra and Kerekes attempted to coerce Cobra Video model Sean Lockhart, of San Diego, to work for them, according to arrest papers.

The two men met with Lockhart and his business partner, Grant Roy, at an adult video news convention in Las Vegas in mid-January where they discussed doing business together.

Immediately after their Las Vegas meeting, Cuadra and Kerekes posted on their Web site informing subscribers that they were planning on filming movies with Lockhart.

On March 3, Kerekes sent several e-mails to Roy asking when filming can begin, including several threatening e-mails, arrest papers say.

Investigators followed Cuadra and Kerekes to San Diego in April where they met with Lockhart and Roy. At a nude beach near San Diego, investigators secretly recorded Cuadra telling Lockhart that he was inside the home when Kocis was killed, according to arrest papers.

Cuadra e-mailed several pictures of himself with Lockhart at the nude beach to The Times Leader on April 30. Cuadra also told a reporter that the publicity of the investigation made him money.

Trooper Martin Connors said once a photo was released to the public in early February, Cuadra was identified as the suspect who met with Kocis on Jan. 24.

“We had that photo, but we didn’t have a name,” Connors said. “What really helped was Crime Stoppers. We got good, solid and multiple tips that identified the person in the picture.”

Investigators suspect that after the Las Vegas meeting with Lockhart, Cuadra and Kerekes arranged to meet with Kocis under the premise that Cuadra wanted to be a model for Cobra Video. Cuadra used a fake name in identifying himself to Kocis.

For several days before Jan. 24, investigators traced several e-mails from Cuadra’s Internet address accounts to Kocis. Cuadra also purchased Kocis’ biographical information on a Web-based site for $39.95 on Jan. 20.

Investigators believe Cuadra and Kerekes were in Luzerne County at the time Kocis was killed because of a receipt from the Fox Ridge Inn in Plains Township. Kerekes used his driver’s license to check into the motel where the pair stayed until Jan. 24, arrest papers say.