Klamath Falls man who held kidnapped woman in cinder block cell sentenced to life in prison
By Anthony Macuk, Kyle Iboshi, KGW
MEDFORD, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — A Klamath Falls man was sentenced to life in prison Friday after being convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women in separate incidents and holding one of them in a makeshift cell constructed from cinder blocks, KGW reported.
Negasi Zuberi, 31, was arrested in July 2023 after the victim broke out of the cell in the garage of his Klamath Falls home. A federal jury in Medford convicted him in October on charges of kidnapping, transportation for criminal sexual activity and being a felon in possession of guns, as well as attempting to break out of jail after his arrest.
Federal kidnapping charges are punishable by up to life in prison, and prosecutors had sought that penalty ahead of Zuberi's sentencing hearing, writing in a court document that he "should never be able to kidnap, beat or sexually assault another woman."
"Negasi Zuberi is a serial predator who committed acts of evil. He hunted women," Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Sweet said at the sentencing hearing on Friday.
The FBI first announced Zuberi's arrest in August 2023, revealing that he had solicited a sex worker in Seattle and then posed as an undercover police officer and kidnapped her, driving her 450 miles to Klamath Falls. The woman later told police Zuberi had threatened her with a Taser, handcuffed her in the back seat of his car and sexually assaulted her during the trip.
"This is not a man who deserves to be around others. He shows blatant disregard and lack of care for human life," one of Zuberi's victims said at the hearing.
Court documents show that prosecutors also laid out a history of assault and sexual abuse convictions, starting when he was convicted for having sex with a 16-year-old when he was 23.
The trial lasted 11 days, during which Zuberi did not take the stand. He attempted to testify on the final day, but his request was denied because he had already waived his right to do so. Zuberi pleaded not guilty to all the charges and continued to claim he was innocent at Friday's hearing.
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U.S. Attorney's Office news release:
Klamath Falls Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Two Women and Holding One in Cell (Photo)
U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon - 01/17/25 5:38 PM
MEDFORD, Ore.— Negasi Zuberi, 31, of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was sentenced to life in federal prison today for kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women, and holding one in a cell he constructed in his garage.
“There is no place in civil society for this type of terrifying violence,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “I sincerely hope Zuberi’s life sentence will bring some measure of comfort to his victims. Their courage and perseverance are an inspiration to us all.”
According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, while in Seattle, Zuberi posed as a police officer and used a taser and handcuffs to detain his victim in the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the victim approximately 450 miles to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her.
At his residence, the victim was moved from his vehicle into a cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. The victim retrieved a handgun from Zuberi's vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911.
On July 16, 2023, Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody.
While investigating Zuberi's crimes, federal agents discovered that approximately six weeks prior to the kidnapping in Seattle, on May 6, 2023, Zuberi kidnapped and sexually assaulted another victim. 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.
On August 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Zuberi with kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Later, on February 15, 2024, a second kidnapping charge and charges for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
On October 18, 2024, a federal jury found Zuberi guilty of all charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI Portland and Reno, Nevada Field Offices, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney's Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney's Office; Nevada State Police; and Klamath Falls Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Nathan J. Lichvarcik, and Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, with assistance from Appellate Chief Suzanne Miles, also of the District of Oregon.
