Brooklyn US District Court handed down significant prison time Monday to the leaders of a gang following a violent clash with rivals, New York Post reported.
Leaders of the Brooklyn-based Real Ryte street gang were sentenced to significant prison terms following a chaotic incident that resulted in an innocent bystander being shot. Semaj Smith, 30, received an 11-year sentence, while his associates, Mark Waiters, 26, and Dajahn McBean, 28, each received sentences exceeding 12 years, according to the New York Post.
The convictions stem from a series of violent acts tied to a feud with the rival Breadgang crew, linked to the 50-Brims, a subset of the Bloods. This feud culminated in a car chase through Manhattan, where Smith, McBean and Waiters pursued a member of the Breadgang, driving the wrong way down a one-way street, the outlet reported. The pursuit ended when an innocent bystander, mistaken for the intended target, was shot but survived.
NYC ‘Real Ryte’ gang members sentenced after ‘video game’ like street war with rival ‘Breadgang’ crew https://t.co/Q2TW5HZa1A pic.twitter.com/wSm2IKbd5R
— New York Post (@nypost) June 24, 2024
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, emphasized that the community’s safety is a priority. (RELATED: Gang Leader Gets 37 Years For Role In Stalking, Killing Of Elderly Man In McDonald’s Drive-Thru)
“We will not tolerate our communities being turned into scenes out of video games with gang warfare, reckless shootings and car chases,” Peace said, New York Post reported. “Today’s sentence shows that individuals, like these defendants, who don’t get that message will be punished with significant time in prison.”
