The Queens man convicted of killing an attorney in a Commack murder-for-hire plot two years ago has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Darnell Festus, 25, was sentenced in Suffolk County court Wednesday. He was convicted July 10 of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Ronald Thornton, 39, of Nesconset, had hired Festus in 2008 to kill Thornton’s business partner, 44-year-old James DiMartino, a real estate attorney. Thornton was previously convicted of concocting the murder plot to prevent DiMartino from implicating him in a series of fraudulent mortgage deals. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment.
advertisement
Festus’ sentencing was originally scheduled for Aug. 19 but was adjourned after the State Supreme Court Justice C. Randall Hinrichs received an anonymous letter alleging another person shot DiMartino to death in the parking lot of a Thai restaurant.
The defense attorney used the time to investigate the claims made in the letter but did not ask for another adjournment Wednesday.
