Great Lakes Wire

Semaj Ayers, a 23-year-old Detroit resident, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., with Special Agent in Charge James M. Deir of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Michigan.

Ayers entered his guilty plea on March 18, 2025. The case involved seven individuals charged with conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping related to an incident that occurred in Detroit. Six people were convicted: Cortez Blake and Nasir Lewis were found guilty at trial; Maijah Greene pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap; Shatonnia Kimbrough, Armond Williams, and Ayers pleaded guilty to kidnapping. The seventh defendant, Karamoh Turner, was acquitted at trial.

During the trial for Blake and Lewis, evidence showed that the group kidnapped and assaulted their victim based on a mistaken belief that she had participated in a carjacking. Armed men abducted the victim from Sinai-Grace Hospital before taking her first to an empty lot where she was beaten and then to a residence controlled by Blake where she was held at gunpoint and further assaulted for several hours. Eventually, the victim was left on the roadside miles away.

The government presented evidence that cellphones were used by the defendants to coordinate the abduction and recruit others into participating.

In connection with the underlying carjacking incident that led to this kidnapping case, Jamar Lee-Stinson pleaded guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; he received a sentence of 141 months in May 2024. Amiaya Bryant also pleaded guilty on similar charges and was sentenced to 120 months in June 2024.

“Gang violence destroys the ability of innocent people in our community to simply go about their business. These defendants tried to take vengeance against another group and committed horrible violent crimes. And they kidnapped the wrong person to boot,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “We will do everything in our power to end this violence. The sentences imposed here—and the prosecutions we are bringing—are just the beginning.”

“Pure and simple, Ayers and his accomplices are predators who failed. They represent the worst of the worst in our community. They wrongfully imprisoned and tortured a member of our community. ATF is the federal violent crime police, and we are relentless in holding violent offenders accountable for their poor choices,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “In the end, Ayers should pack his bags and prepare to be reunited with his buddies as they seek redemption in federal prison for a long time.”

The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative led by federal authorities including ATF aimed at reducing violent crime through focused enforcement efforts against repeat offenders while partnering with local prevention programs for lasting impact across communities.

Multiple agencies assisted with investigating this case: Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Labor; United States Marshals Service; Detroit Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit; Michigan Department of Corrections.