Jose Acevedo Sentenced to 22 Years for Causing the Death of Sean Semprie

Rochester, NY- On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, New York State Supreme Court Justice Vincent Dinolfo sentenced 34-year-old Jose Acevedo to 22 years in the New York State Department of Corrections plus 5 years of post-release supervision. The defendant previously pled guilty to Manslaughter in the 1st Degree for causing the death of Sean Semprie.

On November 13, 2021, Rochester Police Officers responded to the Black Bear Pub on West Ridge Road in the City of Rochester. Upon arrival, they found 29-year-old Sean Semprie in the back parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following a thorough investigation by the Rochester Police Department, Jose Acevedo was identified as the suspect. It was further determined that Jose Acevedo and Sean Semprie were involved in an earlier argument inside the bar. After the closing of the Black Bear Pub, Jose Acevedo approached Sean Semprie and shot him at point-blank range. Both men were known to each other.

The Rochester Police Department continued to investigate the incident. On March 11, 2024, an indictment was unsealed charging Jose Acevedo with the homicide. The defendant was already in custody in the New York State Department of Corrections on unrelated gun charges when he was indicted for shooting Sean Semprie.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant District Attorney Aliyah Fowler.

“For more than three years, Sean Semprie’s family has lived with the grief and questions surrounding his violent death,” said Assistant District Attorney Aliyah Fowler. “While no sentence can ever heal that loss, this outcome holds Jose Acevedo accountable for a deliberate, point-blank shooting that ended a young man’s life. This was not an accident or a momentary lapse, it was a conscious act of lethal violence against someone he knew. I am deeply grateful to the Rochester Police Department for their persistence and commitment to ensuring that Sean’s family did not have to wait any longer for justice.”

“Sean Semprie was only 29 years old when he was gunned down at point-blank range by someone he knew,” said Monroe County District Attorney Brian Green. “His family lost a son in an act of intentional, senseless violence. Jose Acevedo made the decision to bring a gun into a personal conflict and pull the trigger, ending Sean’s life and permanently devastating his family. This sentence reflects the seriousness of that crime and ensures that the person responsible will spend decades in prison. I commend Assistant District Attorney Aliyah Fowler and the Rochester Police Department for their relentless work to secure accountability in this case.”