People v. Nayeri CA4/3

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Nayeri immigrated to the United States from Iran in the early 1990’s, when he was 13 years old. While attending high school in Fresno, he became friends with his future codefendants Kyle Handley and Ryan Kevorkian. Nayeri and Kevorkian both joined the Marines after finishing high school, but Nayeri had disciplinary problems and was eventually discharged for going absent without leave. He then went into the marijuana business, growing and selling cannabis to medical marijuana dispensaries in Northern California. During this time, Nayeri also met his future wife, Cortney Shegerian, who turned out to be a key witness for the prosecution. At trial, she described Nayeri as smart and charming but said he could also be very manipulative, domineering, and abusive. In fact, one time during their marriage, Nayeri became so angry and aggressive toward her that she called the police and had him arrested for domestic abuse. That was not Nayeri’s only legal entanglement prior to this case. In 2005, he was charged with vehicular manslaughter for causing a fatal accident while driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The case was delayed several years because Nayeri…