Former Detroit motorcycle club leader provides support for youth through nonprofit

A Metro Detroit man and former leader of a notorious motorcycle club has started a nonprofit organization for at-risk youth after serving more than a decade in prison.

On Thursday, Aref Nagi greeted the parent of a teen he mentors at Pancho Villa's, his Mexican Restaurant in Sterling Heights.

"I'm always there. I'll take the time with them. I'll set a time. I've been doing that. I've got parents that bring their kids. They know I'm passionate about it," Nagi said.

Born in a small town outside Buffalo, New York, Nagi moved to Southeast Michigan when he was 17.

"I had a couple months left to graduate, and had a little daughter, and we had a custody battle, and I didn't want to give up my daughter, so I came to Michigan with my 6-month-old daughter," Nagi said.

The former star athlete eventually got his high school diploma and went to Wayne State University, where he graduated with two degrees in mechanical engineering and Middle Eastern studies.

"Even if I didn't get in that field, because I knew it was going to open businesses, but I wanted my kids to go to school. I want to be an example," Nagi said.

Nagi opened four businesses: a pet store, a cleaning service and two restaurants. At the same time, he joined the Highwaymen Motorcycle Club in Detroit.

"I had a lot of friends that were, you know, bikers. Then I just decided to join. Life was fun. It was fun, you know. We had a lot of good times riding," Nagi said.

Nagi, or "Scarface" as he became known, rose to the level of vice president in the club. That's when he started to head down a dangerous road.

"I didn't even want the position to start with. There are times I didn't even have it on my vest," Nagi said. "The downfall came with excessive drinking, and then using cocaine to balance it off, so you could get back on that motorcycle."

In 2006, Nagi was indicted under the RICO Act for alleged theft, drug trafficking and other charges. He was sentenced to 37 years in prison.

"I got held responsible under RICO for others' crimes, for other people's crimes, because I was a leader," Nagi said. "Did I do anything illegal? I'm not saying I was a Boy Scout, but not to get 37 years."

Nagi's sentence was eventually reduced, and he was released in November 2021 after 15 years behind bars.

He later started StepS2Change.

"It's really meant to be a youth development space for students who are either in the judicial system or in high schools to be developed in their leadership and really intervene on the school to prison pipeline to give an alternative for students and show them where their leadership and their power can grow in ways that the system that be may challenge some of their decisions in life," said Vanessa Velasquez, board member of StepS2Change.

Nagi says it's important for students to have someone they can trust. It's something students like Devon McWright and LaDreme Stinson at Melvindale High School say motivates them.

"I know that, like, we can have a voice here and we can actually like voice it out, so that's what inspired me to like join and to learn more about what's going on, what the politics and stuff," Stinson said.

"I thought it was like kind of impactful, because like, you've been through so much, and you're still here, and you're still trying to, and you turned your life around," McWright said.

The students in the StepS2Change group have become activists, organizing protests and canvassing neighborhoods during election campaigns.

"If you asked me, like a month before that, would I be in Lansing or would I be doing anything like that? No, but it was like me joining this club, and it really brought so much awareness to me," McWright said.

Nagi says the dream is to bring the organization to every school in the state.

"I would like to leave a legacy, you know, that I did something good. I don't want to be known for my past," he said.

As this group of graduating seniors walks through the doors of their high school and into the future, they're also taking the StepS2Change for the better.

"I don't want to hear that there's no need, and there's no second chances, and no one could change. I think everyone could be saved just at the right time moment," Nagi said.