A new federal indictment accuses a Klamath Falls man of an attempted escape from the Jackson County Jail and a second kidnapping in addition to the alleged abduction of a woman from Washington to Oregon last summer.
The Oregonian reports a three-week trial is now set to start in federal court in Medford on October 7th. Prosecutors estimated at least 50 witnesses will be called at trial, with roughly half based in Klamath Falls or Medford.
The superseding indictment now accuses 30-year-old Negasi Zuberi of also kidnapping a second woman in Klamath County on May 6th, of an attempted escape from his cell in the Jackson County Jail in August and of unlawfully possessing a handgun, a shotgun, two rifles and numerous rounds of ammunition as a convicted felon. He initially faced a two-count indictment charging him with kidnapping and transportation with Intent to engage in sexual activity.
The new eight-count indictment charges him with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, two counts of being a felon with ammunition, and one count each of transportation for criminal sexual activity and attempted escape.
Federal prosecutors say Zuberi in July kidnapped a woman from Seattle after posing as an undercover police officer, drove her 450 miles to Klamath Falls, sexually assaulted her on the trip and then locked her in a cell in the garage of his rental home in Klamath Falls.
The new indictment doesn’t give any details on the second kidnapping charge. It picks up the alleged jail escape case that was initially filed against Zuberi in state court. According to court records, a Jackson County maintenance worker noticed an unusual noise coming from one of the cells while he was outside the county jail about 12:45 p.m. on August 22nd and alerted sheriff’s deputies.
Deputies found Zuberi on his bunk bed, near a window that appeared to be chipped, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. He’s accused of using an improvised, screw-like device to strike and shatter glass in the cell. He then covered the shattered glass with books and paper in an apparent attempt to hide it, the affidavit said. The device was found attached to his sandal.
