Cameron Street gang member who pistol whipped a rival and sold guns and drugs gets 3 1/2 years

A federal judge yesterday sentenced Keiarri "Kemo" Dyette, 26, to 42 months in federal prison for his role in the Cameron Street gang, which included beating a member of the rival Wendover Street gang bloody with a gun and selling guns to a man who turned out to be working for the feds, the US Attorney's office in Boston reports.

Dyette had pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, dealing in firearms without a license and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was one of 19 Cameron affiliates rounded up in a sweep in April, 2022.

Dyette had a Kansas City Royals logo tattooed on one arm, to designate his role in the "Killa Cams" and a Cleveland Indians logo tattooed on the other, because, like Cameron, Cleveland starts with a C. He would also sometimes wear a Cincinnati jersey with the number 3113 - which refers to the position in the alphabet of the letters C, A (doubled) and M.

In a sentencing memorandum, calling for 46 months in prison, assistant US Attorney Christopher Pohl recounted what happened one night when Cameron Street leader Anthony "Wheezy" Centeio spotted a couple of Wendover members showing up at the Fernandez Liquors store right on Hancock Street, in the heart of Cameron territory while he and Dyette were driving by: They both jumped out of the car and as Centeio beat one of the two, , Dyette grabbed the other and whipped out his gun. Or as a cooperating witness testified:

Kemo [DYETTE] had the [U/I] to the nigga’s face, pistol-whipping him . . . Niggas spitting on him, Kemo [DYETTE] kept pistol-whipping - bro. It was crazy, bro.

Centeio is currently scheduled for trial on Sept. 9, according to court records.

Last week, another Cameron Street member, Daronde Bethea, got 21 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to crimes that included attempted murder and participating in two armed home invasions.

Pohl also describes how Dyette sold guns to another Cameron Street member - turned "cooperating witness" - several times at the South Bay mall in exchange for cash or marijuana.

DYETTE's arrest on the Cameron Street indictment presents him with an inflection point. On the one hand, a 46 month sentence is a substantial prison sentence, particularly in light of DYETTE's criminal history. On the other hand, the evidence gathered during the investigation showed DYETTE to be fully committed to the success of the Cameron Street enterprise. DYETTE personally committed an act of violence with a firearm; was a close confidant of the gang's leader, CENTEIO; was a day-in, day-out drug trafficker; and regularly acquired and sold illegal firearms. The possession, distribution, and use of illegal firearms fuels the "epidemic of handgun violence in communities within this district," including neighborhoods in Boston and Brockton impacted by the cycle of violence attributable to the Cameron Street / NOB feud. ... DYETTE's possession and sale of firearms "directly facilitate[d] crimes of violence" and "indirectly facilitate[d] other crimes, including drug offenses." DYETTE day-in, day-out drug trafficking activity of multiple controlled substances produced substantial income and helped fund Cameron Street. Taken together, these facts support the imposition of a sentence at the high end of the guidelines. ...

The recommended sentence achieves general deterrence, in that it effectively communicates the real-world consequences of joining criminal conspiracies like Cameron Street. A high-end guideline sentence will specifically deter DYETTE, promote respect for the law, and most importantly, serve to protect the public from DYETTE.

In his sentencing memorandum, Dyette's attorney, Jason Benzaken, called for a sentence of 37 months, which he said would be long enough to punish Dyette for what he'd done, while letting him continue on his path to the straight and narrow, which he said included counseling at Boston Medical Center and in a four-year ROCA program that in addition to counseling has included help in getting ready for the GED.

Mr. Dyette, having started down a dangerous path, has recognized the wrongfulness of his conduct and the benefits and joy that a law-abiding productive lifestyle can bring, and is committed to maintaining one for himself, his family, and his community.

Dyette, he said, grew up in a troubled household: His stepfather beat his mother until she finally left when Dyette was 12, which was followed by years in shelters. Dyette dropped out of high school in large part because of bullying for always wearing the same clothes to school and then was shot in the leg a year later, he continued, adding the cumulative effect was eventual diagnoses of PTSD, depression and anxiety - and his involvement with the Cameron Street gang, Benazken wrote:

Mr. Dyette was thus a vulnerable and misguided teenager with poor self-esteem when he gravitated towards Cameron Street. Most of the men in Cameron Street were older, experienced criminals. They were welcoming and encouraging to him, and he was easy for them to influence. Mr. Dyette was a lost young man seeking dignity and pride in himself, and the Cameron Street members instilled those feelings in him.

Mr. Dyette acknowledges that at the time of his arrest, he was on a dangerous path. Had he not been arrested; his criminal conduct would likely have continued. He recognizes the likelihood that he would have died as a result of his criminal conduct. For Mr. Dyette, however, the structure he received on pre-trial release opened his eyes to the different path and his ability to make better decisions. ...

Mr. Dyette's lifestyle prior to his arrest perhaps made him feel accepted and better about himself, but it did not bring him true pride. During his interview with the Probation Department for his presentence investigation report, Mr. Dyette reported how great he felt having quit marijuana and holding a job. He enjoys working full time and earning an honest living. His family has expressed their pride in his efforts, and it is important to him that he continue to reward their support of him. He is simply happier living as he has been on conditions of release than he was beforehand, and values the structure he received on release. He has a belief in himself that he never had before.