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St. Lawrence County drug-sale defendant pleads guilty, sentencing set for Nov. 17

John Cosores pleaded guilty to attempted third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell instead of going to trial.

By the ClickNNY North Country Desk

Potsdam, St. Lawrence CountycourtsUpdated

John P. Cosores has pleaded guilty in St. Lawrence County Court to a reduced felony charge in a drug-possession case that had been scheduled for a September jury trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 17 before Judge Gregory P. Storie in Canton.

Court records show Cosores, about 61, pleaded guilty to attempted third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, a class C felony. The plea covers an indictment's two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, each a class B felony.

The case began with a July 11, 2025, traffic stop in the town of Norfolk, according to State Police. Cosores was arrested and charged with drug-possession offenses, including a count alleging intent to sell.

A St. Lawrence County grand jury indicted Cosores on two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The indictment alleges that Cosores and co-defendant Jacqueline Yaddow possessed a half ounce or more of an unspecified narcotic.

The public defender's office represents Cosores. The case had been set for a September jury trial before the guilty plea, which means the scheduled trial will not proceed unless the plea is later withdrawn or otherwise changed by the court.

The case and the court

Indicted felony cases in St. Lawrence County are heard in County Court in Canton. Judge Storie has served as a St. Lawrence County Court judge since 2021.

In April 2024, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct censured Storie over comments concerning the 2022 Potsdam murder case, People v. Snow. He remained on the bench. That disciplinary matter is separate from the Cosores case.

The indictment coverage identified Cosores as living in Brasher Falls, while the arrest coverage identified him as living in Norfolk. Both communities are in St. Lawrence County. The co-defendant in the indictment is Yaddow; her case status is separate from Cosores' plea.

What happens next

Cosores is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 17. The year is not stated in the court information available for this report, and sentencing dates can change.

The plea resolves the trial setting but does not complete the case. The court will determine the sentence, and a conviction may be appealed. The public record does not establish the sentencing terms in advance.

Updates can be checked through the New York State Unified Court System's WebCrims defendant search. The St. Lawrence County District Attorney's Office or the court clerk can confirm the plea terms and any agreed sentence.

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Written from an official public record and reviewed by a ClickNNY editor before publication.

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