BLACK: Trial to begin for Oregon man accused of kidnapping woman, locking her in cinderblock cell; UPDATE: found guilty

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Trial to begin for Oregon man accused of kidnapping woman, locking her in cinderblock cell​


Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in Medford, followed by opening statements on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.

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Credit: KGW

Jury selection for the Negasi Zuberi trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in Medford.

Author: Kyle Iboshi (KGW)

Published: 4:02 PM PDT October 7, 2024

Updated: 5:22 PM PDT October 7, 2024

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PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal prosecutors have submitted more than 500 exhibits and a witness list of at least 70 people for the trial of an Oregon man who allegedly kidnapped a woman in Seattle, then locked her in a cinder block cell in his garage. Negasi Zuberi, 30, is also facing charges related to a second kidnapping involving a woman in Klamath Falls.



Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in Medford, followed by opening statements on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. The trial is scheduled for three weeks.

The FBI claims in July 2023, Zuberi posed as an undercover officer, kidnapped a woman from Seattle, then sexually assaulted her during the 450-mile drive to his home in Klamath Falls. The woman was able to escape the cell by beating on a metal screen door until her hands bled, according to federal agents.

Zuberi was arrested a day after the alleged kidnapping in Reno, Nevada after a stand-off with police.

RELATED: Body cam footage shows arrest of Oregon man accused of holding woman captive in cinder block cell

Federal prosecutors have since linked Zuberi to a second kidnapping in May 2023. In court papers, prosecutors allege Zuberi abducted a woman outside a Klamath Falls bar, threatened her with a taser, handcuffed her in the back of his car and then sexually assaulted her multiple times.

Court records suggest prosecutors will rely on a mountain of evidence and testimony to show a pattern of predatory behavior and premeditation.

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Credit: Court Exhibits

Security cameras at Home Depot captured Negasi Zuberi purchasing cinderblocks used to create a cell in his garage, according to federal prosecutors.

Images taken from security cameras at a local Home Depot show Zuberi buying cinder blocks that prosecutors say he used to construct the make-shift cell in his garage. The government’s exhibit list also includes weapons and ammunition, police body camera footage and evidence found in Zuberi’s home and vehicle.

The government’s witness list includes investigators from the FBI, local police and medical personnel who treated the alleged victims.

It is not clear if Zuberi will testify on his own behalf or what witnesses, if any, the defense will call.

Zuberi has pleaded not guilty to an eight-count indictment that charges him with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of being a felon in possession of guns and ammunition, two counts of being a felon with ammunition and one count each of transportation for criminal sexual activity and attempted escape.



RELATED: Photos: Oregon man suspected of kidnapping, imprisoning woman in cinder block cell attempts escape from jail
 
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Man found guilty of kidnapping after woman escaped from cinder block cell in Oregon​

Negasi Zuberi, 30, was arrested in July 2023 when a sex worker was able to flee his Klamath Falls home and call for help.
The interior of a cinder block cell where Negasi Zuberi allegedly held a woman captive at his home in Klamath Falls, Ore.

The interior of a cinder block cell where Negasi Zuberi allegedly held a woman captive at his home in Klamath Falls, Ore.FBI Oregon.


Oct. 22, 2024, 3:06 PM MST

By Doha Madani

A man who was arrested last year after a woman escaped from a makeshift cinder block cell where he was holding her has been convicted of kidnapping and other charges.
Negasi Zuberi was found guilty of two counts of kidnapping, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, two counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition and one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity, according to the jury verdict form. A number of documents in the case in the U.S. District Court for Oregon were sealed.

Zuberi, 30, was arrested in July 2023 after a sex worker fled his Klamath Falls home and called for help. Zuberi kidnapped the woman while posing as an undercover officer, threatening her with a stun gun, handcuffing her and putting her in the back seat of her car, according to the FBI.
He drove her roughly 450 miles to his Oregon rental home and is accused of stopping along the way to sexually assault her, the FBI has said.


Woman escapes from cinder block cage; search underway for other victims

The woman was kept in Zuberi's garage in a room made of cinder blocks with a metal door that couldn’t be opened from the inside, officials said. She was eventually able to escape, and a driver she flagged down called 911, according to the FBI.

Zuberi was arrested in Reno, Nevada, on July 16, 2023, after a 45-minute standoff with police.

The next month, FBI agents investigating Zuberi told the public that he may be connected to other sexual assaults and accused him of targeting sex workers. He lived in 12 states over the last decade, the FBI said, and used the aliases “Sakima,” “Justin Hyche” and “Justin Kouassi."

A cinderblock cell in a home in Klamath Falls, Ore.
A cinder block cell in a home in Klamath Falls, Ore.FBI Oregon
Investigators found a note at Zuberi’s residence that indicated he had plans for other assaults, officials said. The FBI said at the time that one of the most “chilling” aspects of the note was that he wrote “make sure that they don’t have a bunch of people in their lives."

According to the U.S. attorney's office for Oregon, Zuberi kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman six weeks before the woman in the cinder block cell ran from him.

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Portland FBI looks for more victims of alleged serial rapist

"While being held by Zuberi, his first victim observed stacked cinder blocks in his garage that he later used to construct the cell where he detained his second victim," the prosecutor's office said.

A second kidnapping charge was added as a result of a superseding indictment in February.

The kidnapping charges are the most serious of the convictions, carrying a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

Attorneys listed for Zuberi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A sentencing date does not appear to be scheduled based on his court docket.

NBC News previously reported that the mother of Zuberi's two children alleged that he threatened to kill her and that she said she had bruises from his “hitting,” “restraining” and “beating” her.
 
Wikipedia has extensive data on CAREER CRIMINAL
Negasi Zuberi is an American convicted kidnapper and serial rapist, apprehended in July 2023 after kidnapping a woman in Seattle and transporting her to his home 450 miles away in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Authorities believe Zuberi may be linked to additional assaults across multiple states since 2016. He was convicted on October 18, 2024 for kidnapping, transporting a victim for criminal sexual activity, and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.[1]


Criminal career​

Negasi Zuberi’s criminal activities are believed to have started in 2016, spanning multiple states, including California, Washington, Utah, and Oregon. He has been linked to a series of assaults involving drugging women’s drinks and posing as an undercover officer. Zuberi used a variety of aliases, such as “Sakima”, "Justin Kouassi" and “Justin Hyche.”[2] His most notorious crime occurred on July 15, 2023, when he allegedly kidnapped a woman, took her 450 miles to his makeshift garage in Klamath Falls, sexually assaulted her during the journey, and held her in a cinder block cell before her escape.[2] The victim then flagged down a passerby driving a car and alerted the police. The next day, Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Police officers located Zuberi through a GPS device in a Walmart parking lot in Reno, Nevada.[2][3] There, "after a standoff during which he allegedly cut himself and started to bleed 'profusely,' Zuberi eventually surrendered to law enforcement."[4]

When Zuberi's house was searched, handwritten plans were found detailing how and who to kidnap, and how to bury the bodies. According to prosecutors, the notes were prefaced with the phrase, "You must raise an army." Zuberi would scout for potential victims in parking lots and take “surreptitious photos” of the women and their license plates to track their cars as recently as July 2023.[5] The note detailed the type of women Zuberi targeted: “Leave phone at home. Make sure they don’t have a bunch of ppl [sic] in their life. You don’t want any type of investigation.” Another handwritten note was found in his house that detailed how to bury the bodies, reading "dig a hole straight down 100ft.”[4] On October 18, 2024, Zuberi was convicted of kidnapping, transporting a victim for criminal sexual activity, and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon; his defense lawyer said he plans to appeal all convictions.[3][6]

Authorities later discovered that Zuberi is responsible for sexual assaults in at least four other states across the United States.[3] He is waiting to be sentenced and faces a possible life sentence.[7] On October 18, 2024 he was found guilty.[1] In January 6, 2025 Zuberi opted to represent himself on the federal court and asked for a delay on his sentencing.[8]

Zuberi had previously been convicted of sexual intercourse with a minor having for having sex with a 16-year-old minor when he was 23.[9]


Alleged escape attempts​

On January 9, 2025, prosecutors announced that they documented evidence that Zuberi tried to escape jail two different times while awaiting sentencing.[9] In the same announcement, prosecutors presented an account of Zuberi's previous sex offense conviction for having sex with a 16-year-old minor when he was 23 years old; he was convicted in 2017 of sexual intercourse with a minor and placed on three years’ probation.[9] The evidence is to be considered for Zuberi's sentencing.


References​

Howard, Jerry (January 9, 2025). "New evidence in federal kidnap, rape and weapons case about Zuberi escape attempts". NewsWatch 12 KDRV. Archived from the original on January 12, 2025. Retrieved January 12, 2025.

Latest update, by The Bobster

 
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