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3 arrested in torture of California pot dispensary owner

SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Three more suspects have been arrested and charged with kidnapping, torture and sexual mutilation of a Southern California pot dispensary owner, police said.

Newport Beach, Calif., police arrested Ryan Anthony Kevorkian, 34, and Naomi Josette Kevorkian, 33, Friday in Fresno, the Orange County District Attorney's office said Friday.

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FBI agents arrested Hossein Nayeri, 34, Thursday in Prague, Czech Republic.

A fourth suspect, Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 34, was arrested and charged in October 2012.

Prosecutors said the alleged victim, identified only as John Doe, treated several pot growers, including Handley, to a trip to Las Vegas, and Handley then told friends Doe was very wealthy. The news release said the suspects trailed Doe on several trips during which they thought he was burying money in the desert.

The trips were to discuss possible investments, prosecutors said.

Handley, Nayeri and Ryan Kevorkian kidnapped Doe and his girlfriend, tortured Doe and robbed him of "a large amount of cash," prosecutors said in a news release.

The suspects allegedly took Doe to where they thought he had buried money, burned him with a blow torch and cut off his penis.

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Each of the four is charged with two felony counts of kidnapping for ransom and one felony count each of aggravated mayhem, torture and first-degree residential burglary, with a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury, prosecutors said in a news release.

All four were being held without bail and could be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

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