Grand Forks man receives 30 year federal sentence after kidnapping victim at gunpoint over drug debt
Grand Forks, North Dakota – A North Dakota man who played a central role in a violent kidnapping connected to a drug debt has been sentenced to three decades in federal prison after admitting to multiple serious crimes, including kidnapping, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses.
Federal authorities announced that 33-year-old Kyle Kahalehili Maez-Schaack of Grand Forks received a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a kidnapping-for-ransom scheme that crossed state lines and left the victim beaten, threatened with a gun, and forced to seek money from family and friends.
The case stemmed from events that unfolded during the early morning hours of March 5, 2024.
According to court records, Maez-Schaack acted under the direction of a co-defendant and an unindicted co-conspirator who were attempting to recover a drug debt. Investigators said the victim allegedly owed the co-defendant $6,000 for 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Authorities said the co-defendant sent Maez-Schaack a screenshot of the victim’s social media profile along with his address and instructed him to retrieve the victim.
Kidnapped At Gunpoint Over Drug Debt
Prosecutors said Maez-Schaack and others confronted the victim in Fargo, North Dakota, and forced him into their custody at gunpoint.
The victim was then transported across state lines into Moorhead, Minnesota, where he was held against his will while his captors attempted to collect money.
While being held, the victim was ordered to call relatives and friends and ask them for money to secure his release. Despite multiple attempts, prosecutors said the victim was unable to gather enough funds to satisfy the ransom demand.
Court documents revealed that the situation eventually changed when the victim was left unattended inside the Moorhead residence where he was being held. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he escaped from the property and got away from his captors.
Investigators also said Maez-Schaack and others kept the victim’s vehicle after the kidnapping.
The case later exposed broader criminal activity tied to drug trafficking operations in the region.
According to statements presented in court, Maez-Schaack worked as a drug distributor for the co-defendant and frequently served as the enforcer, or “muscle,” for a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine throughout the Red River Valley and Devils Lake areas of North Dakota.
Officials Condemn Violence Linked To Drug Trade
Federal officials said the case demonstrates how drug trafficking often leads to additional violent crimes that place entire communities at risk.
“The drug business is a scourge that often leads to kidnappings and demands for ransoms related to drug debts,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This collateral violence threatens the safety of communities. The lengthy sentence captures the seriousness of the drug related conduct in this case and speaks to the collateral ills of the drug trade that ruins the lives of so many Americans.”
U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase also emphasized the connection between drug trafficking and violent criminal behavior.
“Too often drug trafficking is perpetuated by violent crime, as shown by Maez-Schaack,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase for the District of North Dakota. “Our office, working alongside our federal and state partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those committing violent acts and trafficking illegal drugs in our community.”
Law enforcement leaders said the sentence removes a dangerous offender from the streets.
“Maez-Schaack is a brazen, violent offender who made our communities less safe, and today he receives the consequences for his actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “ATF remains committed to identifying and targeting the most violent offenders, and we will continue to do that work every single day. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration on this case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their successful prosecution.”
The FBI also highlighted the significance of the conviction.
“Stopping violent offenders like Kyle Maez-Schaack is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “This defendant, a previously convicted felon, kidnapped a victim at gunpoint, demanded ransom of the victim’s friends and family, and trafficked methamphetamine into our community. Now, he will rightly spend the next 30 years of his life in federal prison. The entire Red River Valley and Devil’s Lake communities are safer for that fact. The FBI will not stop in our mission to make our communities safe by bringing violent criminals like Maez-Schaack and his accomplices to justice.”
Maez-Schaack pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to kidnapping, conspiracy to traffic drugs, brandishing a firearm during the kidnapping, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the ATF. The prosecution was handled by Trial Attorney Pegah Vakili of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Rodenbiker and Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota. The 30-year sentence closes a case that authorities say combined drug trafficking, firearms offenses, interstate kidnapping, and violent intimidation into one dangerous criminal operation.
