Natalie K. Wight, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon
Negasi Zuberi, a 31-year-old resident of Klamath Falls, Oregon, has been sentenced to life in federal prison for the kidnapping and sexual assault of two women. One of the victims was held in a cell constructed by Zuberi in his garage.
"There is no place in civil society for this type of terrifying violence," stated 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."
Court documents reveal that on July 15, 2023, Zuberi posed as a police officer in Seattle and used a taser and handcuffs to detain his victim in his vehicle's backseat. He then transported her approximately 450 miles to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her.
Upon arrival at his residence, the victim was placed into a cell Zuberi had built in his garage. She managed to escape by breaking open the cell door, retrieving a handgun from Zuberi's vehicle, and flagging down a passing motorist who called 911.
Zuberi was located by Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Patrol officers on July 16, 2023, in Reno, Nevada. After a brief standoff with law enforcement, he surrendered and was taken into custody.
Further investigation revealed that six weeks prior to the Seattle incident, on May 6, 2023, Zuberi had kidnapped and sexually assaulted another woman. The first victim had seen stacked cinder blocks in Zuberi's garage which were later used to construct the cell for the second victim.
On August 2, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Zuberi on charges of kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Additional charges followed on February 15, 2024, including another kidnapping charge and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
A federal jury found Zuberi guilty of all charges on October 18, 2024.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including FBI Portland and Reno Field Offices; Klamath Falls Police Department; Oregon State Police; U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney's Office; Reno Police Department; Washoe County District Attorney's Office; Nevada State Police; and Klamath Falls Sheriff’s Office. Prosecutors included Jeffrey S. Sweet, Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Marco A. Boccato from the District of Oregon with assistance from Appellate Chief Suzanne Miles.
