Three people face charges in connection with a murder-for-hire plot targeting two Ontario County officials and a witness, according to investigators with the New York State Police.
On Friday, investigators from NYSP Troop E's Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team and Special Investigation Unit said Alexander Kise, 21, of Greece, and Alydia Gater, 22, also of Greece, were arrested and charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree conspiracy and fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance — all of which are felonies.
Ontario County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Wolford said at the time of his arrest, Kise was being held in the Ontario County Jail awaiting sentencing after he was convicted in a rape case. Kise and Gater were arraigned at the jail.
An unidentified 16-year-old was also charged with second-degree attempted murder and second-degree conspiracy, according to state police. The teen was taken to Ontario County Family Court for arraignment.
State police said Kise and Gater conspired to hire a person to shoot and kill Ontario County Court Judge Brian Dennis and assistant district attorney Victoria Porter. Dennis and Porter were involved in Kise’s rape case, investigators said.
According to the agency, Kise and Gater also conspired with others to kill the victim in Kise's case. As payment for the killings, police said Kise and Gater offered $1,750 worth of the drug Xanax to a person who turned out to be an undercover officer.
"This strikes at the very heart of the criminal justice system," said Ontario County District Attorney James Ritts. "We've got people who are doing their jobs, doing it fairly, attempting in every respect to ensure ... and I will tell you Judge Dennis worked very hard to ensure that this was a fair trial. Our job is to make sure that we're doing things ethically, and that was accomplished by our team, our prosecution team, and so this strikes at the heart and it's terrifying to the people who do this job on a regular basis at a time when we're vilifying police officers, we're vilifying prosecutors, to have this type of behavior, it really has an impact on our well-being."
Hearings are scheduled for the suspects next week. The investigation is still underway and state police are asking the public to provide any information they may have. They can call NYSP Troop E Headquarters at (585) 398-4100 or send an email to crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.