MAN CONVICTED OF AIDING THREE INMATES ESCAPE FROM CUSTODY BY PROVIDING ESCAPE ITEMS AND GETAWAY RIDE

Case # 16CF0210

Date: June 22, 2017

MAN CONVICTED OF AIDING THREE INMATES ESCAPE FROM CUSTODY BY PROVIDING ESCAPE ITEMS AND GETAWAY RIDE

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was convicted today of aiding three inmates in their escape from jail by leaving a knife and other items outside the jail to assist in their escape, then providing a getaway ride.

Defendant Charges Sentence
Loc Ba Nguyen, 51, Costa Mesa Pleaded guilty to the court to felony:

  • Smuggling weapons into a correctional facility
  • Aiding a prisoner’s escape
  • (2) Sending an article useful for escape into a prison

Sentencing Enhancement

  • Personal use of a knife
One year in county jail (court offer)

Circumstances of the Case

  • In January 2016, Nguyen assisted Bac Tien Duong, Hossein Nayeri, and Jonathan Tieu, in their plans to escape custody from the Men’s Central Jail in Orange County.
  • On Jan. 9, 2016, Nguyen visited Duong in jail and received a list of items necessary for the escape from the inmate.
  • Between Jan. 13, 2016, and Jan. 14, 2016, Nguyen left a backpack containing rope, a knife, and clothing attached to a rope at a location on the premises of the jail.
  • Nguyen returned to the jail and went to a separate location on the premises and left a duffle bag containing additional clothing, two pairs of wire cutters, and the two cell phones.
  • In the early morning hours of Jan. 23, 2016, Nguyen waited in his vehicle for Duong, Nayeri, and Tieu to escape in a neighborhood near the jail.
  • Nguyen drove the inmates to a nearby residence so that the inmates could continue to flee.
  • The Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case and arrested Nguyen on Jan. 24, 2016.

Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Nichols, Special Prosecutions Unit