Maurice Ray Jr., 32, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney imposed the maximum statutory sentence, citing Ray as "a very serious danger to the public."
The conviction stems from an incident in April 2025 when Ray’s girlfriend called 911 alleging she was being kidnapped during a drive to Lansing. According to trial evidence, Ray threw her out of a moving car and dragged her along the street. When a neighbor intervened to help, Ray returned with a gun, forced his girlfriend back into the car, and attempted to shoot at the neighbor; however, the firearm misfired.
Police identified and stopped Ray based on information from the neighbor. After initially stopping for officers, Ray fled with his injured girlfriend still inside the vehicle. He led police on a high-speed chase through Lansing before he was apprehended. Investigators later found a loaded 9mm pistol on the chase route bearing Ray's DNA. The weapon contained an unspent round with a striker mark consistent with an attempted but failed discharge.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey commented: “Anyone who would try to murder a woman just because she was trying to be a good Samaritan deserves to go to prison. I am glad the ATF and the Lansing Police Department brought this case to my attention so that my office could send him there.”
James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Detroit Field Division, said: “Maurice Ray Jr. is an ATF poster child of an individual 100% deserving of federal prosecution for their illegal possession of a firearm,” adding that “the only explanation why this incident did not result in a murder is because that firearm malfunctioned.” He noted that this sentence removes “an armed violent, career criminal” from society for 15 years.
The investigation was conducted by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers from the Lansing Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Nils Kessler and Olivia Ghiselli prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative focused on combating violent crime—which draws resources from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). More details about PSN can be found at Justice.gov/PSN.
