Suspect in Sacramento State sex assaults returns to US to appear in court, FBI says

Alex Muegge
·2 min read
14

A wanted fugitive extradited from Germany returned to Sacramento County on Tuesday to face sexual assault charges.

Nida Muhammad Niazy, 32, allegedly sexually assaulted two people on and near the Sacramento State campus last fall, according to law enforcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said he would appear before Sacramento County Superior Court following extradition.

Niazy was wanted in connection with two incidents in which university police said he would meet the victims on campus and tell them he was a Sacramento State student. The first sexual assault occurred Aug. 21 near the campus, and the second occurred Sept. 18 on campus, according to Sacramento State Police Chief Chet Madison.

Each assault was reported roughly a month after they occurred.

According to authorities, Niazy boarded a commercial flight from San Francisco to Switzerland on Nov. 5 after which the FBI obtained a federal arrest warrant in December.

Niazy was apprehended in Germany by local authorities with the assistance of FBI agents and Interpol in February. He is expected to be arraigned Thursday.

“The FBI is eager to help our law enforcement partners ensure those accused of crimes can and will answer to charges, despite their efforts to flee,” said Sean Ragan, a special agent of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, in a news release. “We thank our international partners and the FBI International Operations Division for assisting us with our effort to apprehend Mr. Niazy.”

Niazy’s return to face prosecution is funded by “Project Welcome Home,” a federal program that aids the transportation of federal fugitives to the United States.

The Sacramento State Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department investigated the assaults, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, according to the FBI.

His bail was set at $700,000.

Sacramento State officials adopted an “action plan” in January to address sexual violence and support campus safety measures following the fall semester’s sexual assault reports.

Cases seeking information from the public, including fugitive matters, are posted on the FBI Sacramento Field Office’s Most Wanted page and the FBI Most Wanted app. The FBI said anyone with information should contact their local FBI office, U.S. embassy or submit information online at tips.fbi.gov.