Semaj Ayers, 23, of Detroit has been 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 ATF in Michigan.
Ayers entered his guilty plea on March 18, 2025. The case involved a total of seven individuals charged with conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping. Six were convicted: Cortez Blake, 23, and Nasir Lewis, 24, were found guilty at trial; Maijah Greene, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap; Shatonnia Kimbrough, 21, Armond Williams, 22, and Ayers pleaded guilty to kidnapping. The seventh defendant, Karamoh Turner, was acquitted.
During the trial for Blake and Lewis, evidence showed that the group kidnapped and beat their victim based on a mistaken belief that she was involved in a carjacking. The victim was taken from Sinai-Grace Hospital by armed men and first brought to an empty lot in Detroit where she was beaten. She was then moved to a residence controlled by Blake where she was held at gunpoint and assaulted for hours before being abandoned miles away.
The government presented evidence that the victim was forcibly held at gunpoint in a Detroit house and physically assaulted as part of an effort to extract information from her. Cellphones were used by the kidnappers to coordinate their actions.
Two others were convicted for the carjacking incident that led up to the kidnapping. Jamar Lee-Stinson pleaded guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and received a sentence of 141 months in May 2024. Amiaya Bryant also pleaded guilty to 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 the United States Attorney’s Office aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated efforts among law enforcement agencies and community partners across Michigan’s Eastern District (https://www.justice.gov/psn). PSN focuses enforcement on violent offenders while working with prevention programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case involved cooperation between several agencies including ATF, Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Labor, United States Marshals Service, Detroit Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit, and Michigan Department of Corrections.
