Moises May Human Trafficking Case: Trial and 30-Year Sentence

The Moises May human trafficking case ended on July 2, 2025, when a Jefferson County judge sentenced the 38-year-old Louisville man to 30 years in prison for kidnapping his former partner Jonna Wilson, chaining her by the neck to the floor of a Park Hill bedroom, and forcing her into commercial sex in the weeks before her rescue.¹

What Happened Inside the Park Hill Home

On the evening of August 16, 2023, Louisville Metro Police responded to the 1700 block of Bolling Avenue after neighbors reported a woman screaming for help.²³⁴

Officers found the front door barricaded. According to the arrest report, May had screwed every door shut, bolted every window, and kept the only key to the deadbolt. Officers and Louisville Fire and Rescue climbed a ladder to the second floor, where they found Wilson chained to the floor by a metal dog chain secured around her neck with a MasterLock and bolted down with screws. An officer ripped the chain from the floor to free her.⁵ She was treated for minor injuries at the scene. May was arrested two days later.

The Charges Against May

A Jefferson County grand jury returned indictment 23-CR-001891, charging May with kidnapping of an adult, a Class B felony, and intimidating a participant in the legal process, a Class D felony. A second indictment followed in 2024. Numbered 24-CR-001438, it charged him with human trafficking without serious physical injury, a Class C felony under KRS 529.100, with a crime date of July 31, 2023, about two weeks before Wilson was found.⁶

The Trial

May went to a full jury trial in the spring of 2025. Prosecutors presented testimony that he had forced Wilson to engage in commercial sexual activity with men for money at least five times in the weeks before his arrest, and that he had held her down after a physical fight and cut off the majority of her hair with a machete.⁷

The defense claimed Wilson had chained herself up because she “couldn’t stop cheating” on May. Detectives testified there were no signs or evidence of self-imprisonment.⁸

In May 2025, the jury found May guilty of kidnapping, five counts of human trafficking, intimidating a participant in the legal process, terroristic threatening, and harassment with physical contact. It recommended a 35-year sentence.⁷

The 30-Year Sentence

At sentencing on July 2, 2025, the judge imposed 30 years rather than the jury’s recommended 35. Kentucky Department of Corrections records break the total across the two indictments: 20 years for kidnapping, 5 years for intimidating a participant in the legal process, and 10 years for human trafficking.⁶

Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers said after the sentencing, “Our community has no tolerance for cruelty and depravity. Every new law that gives us more tools to combat heinous crimes makes a difference. The victim in this case experienced circumstances no one should ever have to go through.”¹

Where Moises May Is Now

May is serving his sentence at the Green River Correctional Complex, a medium-security state prison, and is listed as an active inmate. His earliest parole eligibility date is August 8, 2029. His minimum sentence expiration date with good-time credit is July 5, 2045, and his maximum sentence expiration date is August 8, 2053.⁶

1
Courier-Journal. Louisville Man Sentenced to Prison for Chaining Woman to Floor
2
WAVE 3 News. Man Arrested After Police Say He Chained Woman to Floor in Park Hill Neighborhood
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Courier-Journal. Moises May Louisville Woman Chained to Floor Case
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WDRB. Louisville Police Arrest Man Accused of Chaining Up Woman in Home Near Park Hill Neighborhood
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WLKY. Man Accused of Chaining Woman to Floor in Park Hill Home Arrested
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Kentucky Department of Corrections. Offender Lookup – Moises May
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WAVE 3 News. 35-Year Sentence Recommended for Louisville Man Found Guilty of Human Trafficking
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Law and Crime. Man Who Chained Up Girlfriend Learns Fate