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Hossein Nayeri, the mastermind behind a brutal 2012 kidnapping case, is the focus of Hulu's upcoming docuseries Wicked Game: The Devil in the Desert, premiering on February 4, 2025. The three-part series explores the events that led to Nayeri's arrest, his dramatic 2016 prison escape, and the high-profile legal battle that followed.
In 2012, a woman was found on the side of a Mojave Desert road, zip-tied and panicked. Her rescue led authorities to uncover a disturbing crime linked to a suspected hidden fortune. According to foxla.com (March 24, 2023), Nayeri and his accomplices kidnapped a California marijuana dispensary owner, believing he had buried money in the desert. The victim was tortured before being abandoned, setting off an extensive investigation and an international manhunt.
Hossein Nayeri is currently incarcerated, serving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for his role in the 2012 kidnapping and mutilation of the dispensary owner. In addition to these sentences, in March 2023, Hossein Nayeri received an additional term of two years and eight months for orchestrating a 2016 escape from the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana, California, as per foxla.com, March 24, 2023.
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Wicked Game: The Devil in the Desert revisits these events through exclusive footage, body cam recordings, and interviews with investigators, shedding light on the case that exposed Nayeri's elaborate and violent schemes.
Hossein Nayeri given more prison time for Orange County Jail escape
Hossein Nayeri, who prosecutors describe as the mastermind behind a 2016 escape involving three inmates from the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana, has been sentenced to an additional two years and eight months in prison. This new sentence follows his conviction on felony charges of escaping custody and car theft (foxla.com, March 24, 2023).
At 44, Hossein Nayeri is already serving two consecutive life sentences without parole for his role in the 2012 kidnapping and s*xual mutilation of a marijuana dispensary owner. The crime was part of a failed extortion scheme in which Nayeri and his accomplices mistakenly believed their victim had buried large sums of money in the Mojave Desert, as per foxla.com, March 24, 2023.
According to foxla.com, on March 24, 2023, his escape from Orange County Jail occurred while he was awaiting trial for the kidnapping case. Authorities say Nayeri orchestrated the elaborate jailbreak, spending months preparing in the facility's plumbing tunnels.
With two other inmates, Bac Tien Duong and Jonathan Tieu, he obtained smuggled tools, cut through metal bars, and maneuvered through air vents and tunnels to the jail's rooftop before rappelling down using makeshift ropes. They were later picked up by an accomplice, Loc Ba Nguyen, and transported to various locations.
Duong was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Tieu's trial is still pending due to legal complications. The trio initially traveled together but split after Nayeri and Duong disagreed. Duong surrendered to authorities, while Nayeri and Tieu were taken into custody in San Francisco the following day. (foxla.com, March 24, 2023).
Despite his new sentence, Hossein Nayeri has technically already served enough time in jail to cover it. However, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer defended the decision to prosecute him, citing concerns over potential changes in state sentencing laws that could impact Nayeri's life sentence. Spitzer emphasized that Nayeri remains a high-risk inmate, describing him as "conniving, manipulative, and a mastermind" (foxla.com, March 24, 2023).
The upcoming Hulu docuseries Wicked Game: The Devil in the Desert will explore the full extent of Hossein Nayeri's crimes, from his violent past to the international manhunt that led to his recapture. Through exclusive footage, recorded police interviews, and courtroom footage, the series provides a detailed account of the case that has kept Hossein Nayeri behind bars.
Stay tuned for more updates.
