Accused murderers plead guilty in drug cases

PLATTSBURGH | Two people accused in the violent July death of a local mother are now facing significant prison terms in several drug cases as they await trial for the murder of Crisie Luebbers. Both Nicole Cayea and Craig Foster continue to maintain not guilty pleas in the murder indictments and are scheduled to next appear in court for that case Jan. 6. But this week, the pair returned to Clinton County Court before Judge William Favreau where they pleaded guilty to possessing large quantities of narcotics with the intent to sell and now face more than a decade in prison each. According to Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie, who prosecuted the cases alongside Assistant District Attorney Vivian Joo, Cayea, 42, of Keeseville now faces an aggregate sentence of 10 years on two drug indictments as a second-felony offender. Foster, 37, is now expected to serve an aggregate sentence of 16 years in prison on the three drug indictments he pleaded guilty to Dec. 1. Both will reappear in County Court for sentencing Feb. 18. In June 2021, Cayea was indicted by a Clinton County grand jury on felony drug sale and possession charges in connection with two separate sales of the highly addictive and potentially deadly drug, fentanyl. Both Cayea and Foster were also indicted by the grand jury in June on two felony drug-possession charges for acting together with local fentanyl and methamphetamine possession with the intent to sell. Foster was separately indicted in September on three felony drug-possession charges for possessing fentanyl and one-half ounce or more of cocaine with the intent to sell. In a third indictment, Foster was also charged for possessing fluorofentanyl and four ounces or more of cocaine with the intent to sell. In the drug cases against Cayea, who is accused of luring Luebbers to her death in Schuyler Falls and participating in the murder and coverup, she pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with two determinate sentences of five years in prison and three years of post-release supervision with the incarceration terms to be served consecutively. She also faces up to $30,000 in court penalties on each count. Foster, who is accused of beating the local woman to death after accusing her of being a police informant, pleaded guilty to three felony drug-possession charges on the indictments with the expected sentences totaling 16 years behind bars with five years of post-release supervision. He also faces up to $110,000 in court penalties. Cayea is being represented by attorney Peter Dumas while Foster is represented by local attorney Allan Cruikshank. The pair are accused of acting in concert with two others-Nicole Harrigan and Ian Noone-in the July 6 death of Luebbers, a well-known and loved local mother from Lyon Mountain. According to the separate murder-related indictments, Cayea and Foster are accused of conspiring together in Luebber's death, accusing her of being an informant that led to a late June traffic stop that found Foster in possession of significant amounts of heroin and crack cocaine. Harrigan is accused of helping the pair attack Luebbers that night at a Blake Road home in Schuyler Falls while Noone is accused of helping the trio after the fact by concealing evidence and hindering prosecution.

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Accused murderers plead guilty in drug cases

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