Debra Arno Pleads Guilty in $20K Murder-for-Hire Plot

Debra Arno, 57, formerly of Amherst, New York, has pleaded guilty to solicitation of interstate murder for hire — a cold-blooded plot to have her ex-husband and his new wife killed for $20,000. The deal, brokered through co-defendant Lauren Frye, 57, of Buffalo, unraveled after a tip to Kenmore police exposed a chilling paper trail of cash, schematics, and texts demanding the hit be carried out immediately.

Arno admitted to funneling $6,000 upfront, promising an additional $14,000 upon completion. In a letter seized during a May 28, 2015 search of Frye’s home, Arno wrote: “I am enclosing $6000. I will give you an additional $14,000 upon completion. A total of $20,000. A man, his description and address enclosed, is to be eliminated or hurt. He lives with 2 other people. Both expendable (if there is an accident).” The intended victims were her ex-husband and his wife — both notified just in time by police.

Frye, a convicted felon, wasn’t just the middleman — she kept the tools of the trade. During the raid on her residence, investigators seized three shotguns and two cell phones loaded with damning text messages. One exchange on May 24, 2015, showed Arno, using the alias “Chickie,” pressing Frye for action: “Last day before everything changes! I need it done or else I am going to talk to them myself.” Frye replied: “That’s fine I told them today was the deadline or its gonna get harder.”

The texts grew more frantic. Arno fired off: “What is the big deal! 8 MONTHS! Today! Do it yourself I don’t give a (expletive).” The urgency suggested months of planning had hit a breaking point. Yet the so-called “friends” Frye claimed would carry out the hit never materialized — likely because the entire operation was under law enforcement surveillance by then.

Frye pleaded guilty to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm, a charge that carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Arno faces up to five years behind bars and a $125,000 fine when sentenced on March 8, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Frye is set for sentencing the following day, March 9, at 12:30 p.m., before the same judge.

The investigation was a joint effort by the Village of Kenmore Police Department, led by Chief Peter Breitnauer; the East Aurora Police Department, under Chief Ronald Krowka; and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, directed by Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen. With text messages serving as a ticking clock and letters outlining a deadly blueprint, this case proves that even the most calculated plots can collapse under the weight of their own greed and rage.