Hossein Nayeri and three of his buddies abducted Michael and tortured him. In March 2022, the final defendant in the kidnapping-and-torture case involving a marijuana dispensary owner entered a guilty plea.
For the kidnapping and defilement of a Southern California marijuana industry owner, he received a life sentence.
Where Is Hossein Nayeri Now In 2022? Update From 20/20 Catch If You Can
Hossein Nayeri was given a life sentence for the kidnapping and mutilation of a Southern California marijuana industry owner. After a terrifying kidnapping, he was found in the Mojave Desert. He is currently spending time in the Orange County jail.
Despite being detained in 2013, Hossein was not tried until July 2019, over seven years after the incident for which he was charged. One of California’s most puzzling cases has been examined in the last ten years on ABC’s “20/20: Catch Me If You Can.”
Nayeri and two more men barged into a Newport Beach home where the pharmacy proprietor was renting a room.
Hossein’s defense team challenged every evidence used against him throughout his trial, even going so far as to assert that the police had planted the glove with his DNA to assign responsibility.
They then pressured Cortney by claiming that she had been granted immunity; in this case, she wasn’t a reliable witness. Hossein also gave testimony in his own defense, denying any involvement in the abduction, torture, and mutilation.
Additionally, the jury did not find him guilty of the charge of aggravated mayhem because they couldn’t agree on who actually hurt Michael.
He is a former marijuana dealer from Newport Beach who was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole and an extra seven years for his role in the case beginning in October 2012. As a result, Hossein is currently jailed and will stay so for the remainder of his natural life.
The California Department of Corrections records shows that Hossein hadn’t been moved to a state prison yet when this article was written.
Who Were Hossein Nayeri Victims? Their Status Today
Michael, 28, the successful proprietor of a medicinal marijuana business, slept out while watching television on the couch. But little did he realize that three men, each carrying a shotgun and a revolver, were lurking nearby, dressed in black clothing, wearing ski masks and rubber gloves.
When Mary Barnes, a 53-year-old Florida native who had only recently moved in with her boyfriend and Michael to their Newport Beach house, returned home from work that day, she also didn’t have many thoughts. She did note that a window was left open, though. Her partner was abroad on a work-related trip.
The trio assaulted the two just after midnight, bound them, and carried them to the back of their hired van, where they tormented Michael for many hours. While en route to the Mojave Desert, where they mistakenly thought he had buried $1 million in cash, they badgered him for information.
The authorities claim that when the kidnappers learned there was no money, one severed Michael’s penis and left him and Mary alone to fend for themselves before driving off with the dismembered organ. Fortunately, they also left a knife behind, which Mary discovered and used to sever the zip ties holding them together.
Mary Barnes ultimately managed to get to a roadway close by, where a deputy sheriff saw her and stopped to assist. Thankfully, both victims made it through. The wicked crime, however, had already been carried out. Several stories claim that the kidnappers stunned Michael with a stun pistol and then burned him with a blowtorch before mutilating him. In order to remove any DNA, traces, or physical proof, they afterward drenched him in bleach. All of this viciousness spurred a thorough investigation into the kidnapping case, which led to the capture of the plot’s mastermind Hossein Nayeri along with Kyle Handley and Ryan Kevorkian.
Info On Hossein Nayeri Charges And Sentence- Is He Still In Jail?
Hossein Nayeri from Newport Beach, who was found guilty last year of taking part in the kidnapping and mutilation of a medical marijuana dealer, was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Friday for his “diabolical” actions.
Despite being detained in 2013, Hossein was not tried until July 2019, over seven years after the incident for which he was charged. Hossein’s defense team challenged every piece of evidence used against him throughout his trial, even going so far as to assert that the police had planted the glove with his DNA in order to assign responsibility.
They tortured the two for information and drove them to the Mojave Desert, where they thought Michael had buried $1 million in cash, only fleeing when they were unable to find it. The police used a woman as bait in an effort to apprehend the offenders. Finally, Hossein Nayeri was identified as the culprit.
He bound her hands and ankles with zip ties, taped her lips, put on a blindfold, and hauled her away. She also heard Michael’s cries of struggle throughout that time.
And today, more than eight years later, Mary still seems to call California home, where she works as a healthcare professional and does everything in her power to make sure she and Michael receive the justice they deserve.