The Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office provided an update on the Lucianno Spagnola case. In September Spagnola pleaded guilty to the entire indictment against him, which included two counts of second-degree murder, attempted robbery, and conspiracy.
Prosecutors said in an updated news released that they offered no plea bargain, but the court did promise to impose concurrent sentence of 17 years to life on the murder convictions.
Spagnola, along with Gage Ashley, were accused of shooting- and killing Joshua Poole in the city of Auburn. The murder happened in late-2019.
During his guilty plea, Spagnola admitted that he fired a shotgun multiple times at the victim and thereby intentionally killed him. He stated that Gage Ashley fired a pistol at the victim. He also confessed that the participants, including Ashley, intended to commit a robbery and purchased masks and gloves, and obtained the weapons, prior to committing the crimes.
During sentencing, the court ultimately sentenced Lucianno to 19 years to life on each of the second-degree murder charges. While the court had agreed to sentence at 17 years, they agreed with prosecutors who recommended the maximum.
“This defendant received a life sentence for his part in needlessly taking Joshua Poole’s life during an armed robbery attempt. The defendant and codefendants were looking for cash and drugs. This outcome sends the loud and clear message that we will not tolerate drug-fueled gun violence in our community,” Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Grome Antonacci said.
Ashley’s sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2021 at 9:15 a.m.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]