Honk News (Portland, OR) – A man from Oregon has received a life sentence in federal prison following his conviction for the kidnapping and sexual assault of two women in different incidents, one of which involved confining a victim in a cinder block cell.
On Friday, Negasi Zuberi, 31, received his sentence in federal court.
A federal jury found him guilty in October on multiple charges, including kidnapping, transportation for criminal sexual activity, possession of a weapon as a felon, and attempting to escape from jail after he tried to break through his cell window in August 2023.
“This is not a man who deserves to be around others,” a victim said at the hearing. “He shows blatant disregard and lack of care for human life.”
“Negasi Zuberi is a serial predator who committed acts of evil. He hunted women,” Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Sweet said before Zuberi was sentenced.
In July 2023, Zuberi was reported to have approached a woman to participate in sex work along Aurora Avenue in Seattle, according to officials. A man approached the woman, claiming to be an undercover officer. He displayed a badge, aimed a Taser at her, and restrained her with handcuffs and leg irons before placing her in the back of his vehicle.
After that, he traveled a significant distance back to his residence in Klamath Falls, Oregon, where he confined the woman in a cinder block cell located in his garage, as reported by the FBI. A woman managed to escape by persistently banging on the cell door until it gave way, leading to Zuberi’s flight and subsequent arrest in Reno, Nevada.
Authorities subsequently connected him to another abduction that took place in May 2023, resulting in his conviction for the kidnapping of a woman near a bar in Klamath Falls. Authorities reported that he brandished a Taser, restrained her with handcuffs in the rear of his vehicle, and committed sexual assault against her.
Zuberi maintained his not-guilty plea and reiterated his innocence throughout the sentencing hearing.
He chose not to exercise his right to testify throughout the 11-day trial. On the final day of the trial, he sought to provide testimony but was refused due to having previously waived that opportunity.