Jamaal Simmons was sentenced Wednesday to 15 to 30 years in prison for the 2009 death of 46-year-old Rodney Barnes.
Simmons was convicted of third-degree murder and related charges for driving the van carrying the gunman that shot Barnes in the head on July 25, 2009, as he retrieved tools from his truck. Barnes died 12 days later and Simmons was arrested the following month in Whitehall, N.Y.
Investigators say Simmons, an aspiring rapper, and the unknown gunman were trying to kill another artist.
The 28-year-old Simmons was convicted in January. Prosecutors say he has refused to identify the shooter.
