A leader and two members of the Real Ryte gang were each sentenced to over a decade in prison for violent racketeering offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

All three defendants pleaded guilty in September and October 2023 for charges in an indictment that came from a gang war involving Real Ryte and a subset of the Bloods.

Semaj Smith, 30, also known as “Bam Bam”, was sentenced to 132 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Co-defendants Dajahn McBean, known as “Jeezy Mula” and the leader of Real Ryte, and Mark Waiters, known as “Telly,” were sentenced to 150 months and 149 months in prison, respectively. They were sentenced last month.

Officials say that in January 2017, the defendants learned that a rival gang member could be found in lower Manhattan. They say that per McBean’s direction, Smith, Waiters, and one other co-conspirator traveled to the location to shoot and kill him. During a chase with vehicles while speeding in the wrong direction on Manhattan streets, the defendants mistakenly shot and severely injured an innocent person.

Court documents state that members of Real Ryte have committed acts of violence including murder and assault. Court filings also state that the gang has engaged in bank fraud, wire fraud and other crimes.