A convicted torturer and former international fugitive accused of masterminding an audacious 2016 escape from an Orange County jail was sentenced Friday, March 24, to an additional two years and eight months behind bars for his role in the headline-grabbing jailbreak.
A week after an Orange County Superior Court jury convicted Hossein Nayeri of taking part in the brazen break-out from the Men’s Central jail in Santa Ana and found him guilty of stealing while on the lam, Nayeri’s lengthy legal journey in Orange County came to an end.
Over the past decade Nayeri, now 44, has become one of Orange County’s most notorious inmates, a man District Attorney Todd Spitzer recently described as “one of America’s most dangerous criminals,” who past prosecutors have called a “psychopath,” a “truly diabolical criminal” and compared to the fictional Hannibal Lecter.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Larry Yellin, just a block away from where escape occurred, cited the sophisticated nature of the jailbreak while handing down what was effectively the maximum sentenced available under current state law. Yellin also dismissed several remaining drug-related cases filed against Nayeri while he was behind bars.
“‘Shawshank Redemption’ had nothing on you guys,” Yellin told Nayeri. “It played out like a movie.”
Nayeri did not speak during Friday’s hearing. He kept his eyes downcast while seated next to his attorney, keeping his hands in his suit’s pockets as he was led in and out of the courtroom. His attorney spoke briefly, criticizing Spitzer for his recent comments about Nayeri, which the defense attorney described as “shameful.”
Nayeri has freely admitted to breaking out of the jail with two fellow escapees, kicking off an intense weeklong manhunt that ended with all three men back in custody. But, during his trial, Nayeri repeatedly denied abducting and holding against his will an independent taxi driver who drove the three to various…
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