KALAMAZOO, MI – A Grand Rapids man was sentenced to the maximum 15 years in federal prison on Tuesday, February 17, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, following a violent series of events in April 2025 that included kidnapping, assault, and a high-speed police chase through Lansing.
Maurice Ray Jr., 32, similarly faces three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence, according to court records. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney in Kalamazoo.
The incident began when Ray’s girlfriend called 911, reporting that she was being kidnapped while en route to Lansing. According to evidence presented at trial, Ray forcibly removed her from the moving vehicle, dragging her along the street on her knees. When a neighbor intervened to assist the woman, Ray allegedly brandished a firearm and pointed it at the bystander, pulling the trigger. The gun malfunctioned and did not discharge.
Ray then forced his girlfriend back into the car and fled, leading law enforcement on a three-mile pursuit through Lansing at speeds exceeding 90 mph. Following his arrest, a search of the route revealed a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol on the roadside, with Ray’s DNA found on the trigger. Investigators determined the weapon had malfunctioned during the earlier attempted shooting, as indicated by a striker mark on an unspent round in the chamber.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey emphasized the severity of Ray’s actions, stating, “Anyone who would try to murder a woman just because she was trying to be a great Samaritan deserves to go to prison.”
The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lansing Police Department. James Deir, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Detroit Field Division, noted that the only reason the incident did not result in a fatality was due to the firearm’s malfunction. “He illegally armed himself, kidnapped and assaulted his girlfriend, and then attempted to fire a gun at a neighbor who stepped in to help,” Deir said.
The prosecution highlighted that Ray posed a “very serious danger to the public,” leading Judge Maloney to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative linked to the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
