Detroit men convicted for abducting victim from hospital, mistakenly believing they were involved in carjacking
(CBS DETROIT) — Two men have been convicted for abducting a person from a Detroit hospital and beating them. They wrongly believed the victim was responsible for a carjacking incident, officials said.
Cortez Blake, 23, and Nasir Lewis, 24, both of Detroit, were convicted on Monday after an eight-day jury trial, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
The two men worked with other people to kidnap the victim as retaliation and to get information because they wrongly believed they were involved in carjacking Blake's vehicle.
Armed men took the victim from Sinai-Grace Hospital and drove them to an empty lot in Detroit, where they beat the victim, officials said. After that, the men took the victim to a residence that Blake controlled. At the residence, they intermittently beat the victim for several hours.
The victim was then left on the side of the road, miles away.
Seven other people have already been charged with conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping in this case. Along with Blake and Lewis, Maijah Greene, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, Shatonnia Kimbrough, 21, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and Armond Williams, 22, pleaded guilty to kidnapping.
The trial for Semaj Ayers is pending. Karamoh Turner was acquitted at trial but still faces aggravated identity theft and wire fraud charges. All defendants remain in custody, and each person who was convicted of kidnapping or conspiracy to kidnap faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The two people who were actually responsible for taking Blake's vehicle have also been convicted.
Jamar Lee-Stinson and Amiaya Bryant pleaded guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Lee-Stinson was sentenced to 141 months in prison, and Bryant was sentenced to 120 months in prison in June.
"Cortez Blake and Nasir Lewis represent the "worst of the worst" offenders calling Detroit home," said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir. "There is no excuse for what they did. They kidnapped and beat a citizen of Detroit with an illegal firearm. They are common-day thugs who put their gang membership and loyalty above everything else, including their humanity. In my experience, these folks represent the most deserving candidates for federal prosecution. ATF and our law enforcement partners remain resolute in holding violent gang members who terrorize our community members accountable for gun violence."