Klamath Falls man get life behind bars for kidnapping and raping two women

Negasi Zuberi, 31, of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in federal prison on January 17 for kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women and holding one in a makeshift 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.”

Background:  On July 15, 2023, while in Seattle, Zuberi solicited a woman to engage in prostitution and then told her he was an undercover police officer. He used a taser,  handcuffs and leg irons to detain her 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.  For more on Zuberi’s sentencing, see the video below.

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(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon)
(Cover photo, Negasi Zuberi mugshot: Image credit: Washoe County Jail)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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