Police Files
Convicted kidnapper and torturer of dispensary owner sentenced to three life sentences
Hossein Nayeri, 41, convicted of kidnapping and torturing a marijuana dispensary owner from Newport Beach in a vicious attack, was sentenced Friday to two life sentences in state prison without the possibility of parole. He was also sentenced to a third life sentence with the possibility of parole.

Click on photo for a larger image
Courtesy of OCDA
Booking photo of Hossein Nayeri
“The devastating depraved heart and extreme intelligence allowed this individual to inflict unimaginable horror on his victims,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
At the time of the kidnapping, victim John Doe owned a lucrative marijuana dispensary business.
On Oct. 2, 2012, Nayeri, and several accomplices are accused of entering John Doe’s Newport Beach home with the intent to kidnap and rob him. Once inside, they are accused of zip-tying the victim’s wrists, severely beating him and forcing him in a van. They are also accused of zip-tying and kidnapping Jane Doe, who was the girlfriend of John Doe’s roommate. They are also accused of stealing a large amount of cash from the home.
The defendants are also accused of driving the victims to the desert where they believed John Doe was hiding money. They are accused of continuing to torture John Doe throughout the drive by burning him with a blow torch and severely beating him. Once in the desert, the defendants are accused of sexually mutilating the victim by cutting off his penis. They are accused of pouring bleach on the victim in an effort to destroy any DNA evidence and dumping both zip-tied victims on the side of the road. Jane Doe was not physically harmed.
John Doe spent an extensive period of time in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
As part of its investigation, Newport Beach police canvassed John and Jane Doe’s neighborhood. A neighbor had been suspicious of a car parked outside John Doe’s home in the weeks prior to the kidnapping and wrote down the license plate. Upon locating the vehicle’s owner, Nayeri’s DNA was also found, and he was identified as a suspect.
Additionally, Nayeri is still facing trial for a brazen 2016 escape from the Orange County Jail. He and two other inmates are accused of orchestrating an escape from the county jail, kidnapping a cab driver, and forcing him to drive them to San Francisco. He and one of his co-defendants were captured after a homeless man recognized Nayeri from news coverage and alerted police.
Multiple cars broken into on Balboa Peninsula
Newport Beach Police report that a series of thefts from vehicles took place in the 1700 block of W. Oceanfront between 6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26 and 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Three vehicles were broken into by an unknown suspect. All the vehicles were parked in the victims’ carports. One vehicle’s front passenger window was shattered, another vehicle was left unlocked, and the last vehicle showed no signs of a forced entry.
Reported losses included U.S. currency, clothing, a garage door opener and a towel.
No further suspect information is available at this time.
NBPD joins in for Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
Newport Beach Daylight Saving Time ended Sunday, Nov. 1. With it, sleep patterns have changed and may be disrupted, possibly impacting our ability to drive safely.
In that light, the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) joins the Office of Traffic Safety and other agencies across the country in recognizing Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, November 1-8.
“If you are feeling sleepy, it’s best to avoid driving,” Lt. Damon Psaros said. “Not having enough rest could have a similar impact as drugs or alcohol.”
To put things into perspective and highlight the dangers of driving while sleepy or tired, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention being awake for at least 24 hours is the same as having a blood alcohol content of .10 percent, which is above the legal limit of .08 percent.
The NBPD offers these tips to avoid drowsy driving:
–Get enough sleep (at least seven hours a day).
–Stick to a consistent sleep schedule.
–Avoid alcohol or medications that can cause drowsiness.
–If traveling long distances, take a break every two hours or 100 miles.
–Take turns with another driver on road trips.
–If you are sleepy, pull over to a safe place like a highway rest area or parking lot and take a 15- to 20-minute nap.
Signs of driver fatigue include frequent yawning, daydreaming, trouble remembering the past few miles driven, missing an exit, or drifting from lanes.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) maintains more than 80 safety roadside rest areas across the state. To find a rest area near you, go to http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov, or download the free QuickMap app on Google Play and in the App Store.
What’s on the Docket
Barker mortgage and debt loan fraud cases
James Frank Barker – Friday, November 6 at 8:30 a.m. (Central Court 55)
Sentencing – Major Fraud
–Between December 2013 and July 2015, Barker is accused of posing as an attorney under several different aliases and law firm names.
–Barker is accused of soliciting clients by promising to consolidate outstanding debts and/or reduce mortgage payments through loan modifications.
–Between November 2013 and July 2015, the defendant is accused of collecting $20,960 from his clients, John Doe 1 and Jane Doe 1, $3,000 from John Doe 2 and Jane Doe 2, and $21,640 from John Doe 3 and Jane Doe 3.
–The defendant is further accused of never notifying his clients’ debtors of his representation, never attempting to negotiate any debts on behalf of his clients, and never submitting any mortgage assistance applications on behalf of his clients.
–Barker is accused of refusing to refund his clients and laundering the money at a JP Morgan Chase bank.
–On December 7, 2015, the OCDA received a tip from an attorney in Orange County who represented two of Barker’s victims.
–OCDA investigated this case and discovered that Barker has never been a licensed member of the State Bar of California.
–Newport Beach Police Department arrested Barker on May 15, 2017.
Samuel Woodward pre-trial in Blake Bernstein homicide
Samuel Lincoln Woodward – Friday, November 6 at 9 a.m. (Central Court 30)
Pre-Trial – Homicide
–At approximately 11 p.m. on January 2, 2018, Woodward is accused of picking up the victim, 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Blaze Bernstein, from his residence in Lake Forest. The victim and the defendant knew each other from attending Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana.
–Woodward is accused of driving the victim to the parking lot of a shopping center in Foothill Ranch.
–Later that evening, Woodward is accused of driving the victim to a park in Lake Forest.
–The defendant, who is 6 feet 2 inches tall and 185 pounds, is accused of murdering Bernstein, who was 5 feet 8 inches tall and 135 pounds, by stabbing the victim multiple times because of the victim’s sexual orientation.
–Woodward is accused of burying the victim’s body in the dirt perimeter of the park.
–On January 3, 2018, Bernstein’s parents contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) to report the victim as a missing person.
–After an eight-day investigation which included a team of 25 search and rescue deputies, police K-9 dogs, multiple helicopter searches, and drone, OCSD investigators discovered the victim’s body on January 9, 2018 in a shallow grave in the park.
–OCSD arrested the defendant on January 12, 2018, at his home in Newport Beach.
Editor’s Note: An arrest contains allegations that a suspect has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.