Darin Semple sentenced to up-to-life for Baldwin fatal shooting

A Freeport man was sentenced Tuesday to up to life in prison for his role in the October 2021 fatal shooting of a Baldwin man he had met with under the guise of buying marijuana, Nassau County prosecutors said.

Darin Semple, 22, was convicted by a jury trial on March 25 of second-degree murder for the killing of Rafael Delossantos, along with first- and second-degree robbery.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty sentenced Semple on Tuesday to 23 years to life in prison.

Semple’s co-defendant, Devin Obleanis, 22, of Central Islip, pleaded guilty on Sept. 9, 2022, to second-degree murder and first-degree robbery in connection with the killing of Delossantos. He was sentenced in April to 20 years to life in prison.

“Rafael Delossantos’ young life was snuffed out by Darin Semple and Devin Obleanis, who lured the 23-year-old to Baldwin intending to steal from him, and killed him in the process,” said Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly in a department news release. “These defendants callously ended Rafael’s life and will spend decades in prison paying for their violence.”

Doug Rankin, Semple’s Brooklyn-based defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.

During the afternoon of Oct. 25, 2021, Semple, Obleanis and an unapprehended suspect met with Delossantos on Victoria Street in Baldwin, prosecutors said.

Obleanis had earlier sent text messages to Delossantos asking to meet to buy marijuana, authorities said.

The trio entered the victim’s car, held Delossantos at gunpoint, stole the drugs and shot him twice before fleeing, prosecutors said.

Semple and Obleanis were arrested on the Meadowbrook State Parkway in North Merrick by Nassau Homicide Squad detectives and Bureau of Special Operations officers on Dec. 10, 2021.

The investigation into the unapprehended suspect is ongoing.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.