Five individuals have been found guilty in a kidnapping scheme aimed at a Detroit man whose existence transformed following a widely shared compassionate deed, a conspiracy masterminded by his own nephew. Roland Chatmon, 37, of Detroit; Leica Lopez Martinez, 33, of Lake Orion; Ieasha Stroman, 38, of Pontiac; and Dneiqua Stroman, 43, of Pontiac, all entered guilty pleas to kidnapping conspiracy and federal firearms offenses. Kenneth Anderson, 54, of Pontiac, previously pleaded guilty to money laundering for his role in the case.
Five Face Prison Sentences for Attack on Curtis Dixon
The five individuals each confront a minimum sentence of 7 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for early next year. According to WXYZ, the convictions are connected to a September 2025 assault on Curtis Dixon, who had become an online sensation after being filmed assisting a social media influencer who was feigning blindness.
The Kidnapping Plot
Weeks after his viral fame resulted in Dixon receiving $100,000 and a Yukon Denali, Dixon became the victim of a violent assault. Dixon stated he was close to his residence when a woman approached him appearing distressed. A young lady walked past me crying, and I asked her was she OK and she said no I got carjacked,
Dixon said. He offered her a ride, and she directed him to a house on Detroit’s east side where the trap was set. Dixon was held at gunpoint, hogtied, stripped and beaten. Suspects drove his car to ATMs and drained his bank accounts before forcing him to his apartment, where they tied up his wife and stole his safe.
Discovery of the Conspiracy
Dixon’s own nephew was the mastermind of the plan. Following the attack, Dixon’s nephew telephoned him and inquired, Unc, do you know who did it?
Days later, during an interview with the ATF, Dixon viewed a photograph that devastated him. They showed me these pictures. The third picture they show me, I fell to my knees. They said, ‘Mr. Dixon, do you know him?’ And I said, ‘That’s my nephew,’
Dixon said. According to the ATF, Chatmon had been recorded calling his brother in jail to hatch the plan and then recruited three women to carry it out. Dixon said he is now resting easier and grateful to be alive, stating, I’d rather be broke and happy, any day. I’d rather be broke and happy than rich and have to look over my shoulder.
