‘All Hell Broke Loose:' WSJ Reporter Witnesses Chaos at Gaza Aid Site
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NBC News
36 minutes ago
- NBC News
Man accused of faking death and fleeing U.S. convicted of rape
A man accused of faking his own death and fleeing the United States to avoid sexual assault and fraud allegations was convicted of rape in Utah on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. A Salt Lake County jury found Nicholas Alahverdian, who has been identified and charged by authorities in Utah as Nicholas Rossi, guilty after three days of testimony. Deliberations began Wednesday. He will be sentenced in October, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Alahverdian faces a second rape trial in nearby Utah County scheduled for September. In 2022 — two years after an online obituary stated that Alahverdian died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma — Alahverdian was arrested in Scotland under the name Arthur Knight. Speaking with a British accent and appearing in a wheelchair, he denied that he was Alahverdian and claimed that he was an Irish orphan who had become a businessman. In his opening statement, the prosecutor in the Salt Lake County case said that Alahverdian admitted his true identity under oath last year. He accused Alahverdian of raping a 24-year-old woman in 2008 after a whirlwind romance and engagement. At trial, the victim testified that Alahverdian quickly became controlling and mean after she bought their rings and lent him money for rent. When she removed the ring and told him their relationship was over they fought and he eventually assaulted her, she testified. Alahverdian's defense lawyer, MacKenzie Potter, compared the allegations to an 'old puzzle from the thrift store,' saying that 'not all the pieces are there.' The victim's story had changed over time, Potter said, and it can't be verified. Alahverdian, who was raised in Rhode Island's foster youth system and later became an outspoken aide in that state's legislature, was previously accused or convicted in other assault and sex crimes cases involving women he was in relationships with. In a case in Massachusetts in 2010, a woman he was married to at the time told authorities he held her down, grabbed her neck, struck her in the face and refused to let her leave their home following an argument over a crying baby. Alahverdian pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic assault and was sentenced to probation. In Ohio in 2008, a woman whom Alahverdian met on MySpace accused him of sexually assaulting her while walking to class at a local community college. He denied the allegation and was charged with public indecency and sexual imposition, a misdemeanor crime indicating sexual contact against a person's will. After a trial, Alahverdian was fined and ordered to register as a sex offender. The second Utah case, also from 2008, involves a woman who said they'd started dating after they met on MySpace. An affidavit in support of an arrest warrant shows that she told authorities that she broke it off after he became increasingly aggressive and borrowed money without paying her back. On Sept. 13 of that year, she said she went to his home after he said he'd pay her back, according to the affidavit. He instead raped her, according to the document. A sexual assault kit was completed the next day, authorities have said, but a backlog in testing meant that Alahverdian was not identified as a suspect until a decade later. Alahverdian has pleaded not guilty in that case.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iran arrested 21,000 'suspects' over fears of Israel collaboration during war, state media says
Following the war, Iranian security forces launched a campaign of widespread arrests, increasing street presence with checkpoints and encouraging citizens to report suspicious activity. Iranian police arrested as many as 21,000 "suspects" during the country's 12-day war with Israel in June, a law enforcement spokesperson said on Tuesday, according to state media. Following Israeli airstrikes that began on June 13, Iranian security forces began a campaign of widespread arrests accompanied by an intensified street presence based around checkpoints and "public reports" whereby citizens were called upon to report on any individuals they thought were acting suspiciously. "There was a 41% increase in calls by the public, which led to the arrest of 21,000 suspects during the 12-day war," police spokesperson Saeid Montazerolmahdi said. He did not say what those arrested were suspected of, but Tehran has spoken before of people passing on information that may have helped direct the Israeli attacks. The Israel-Iran conflict has also led to an accelerated rate of deportations for Afghan migrants believed to be illegally in Iran, with aid agencies reporting that local authorities had also accused some Afghan nationals of spying for Israel. "Law enforcement rounded up 2,774 illegal migrants and discovered 30 special security cases by examining their phones. 261 suspects of espionage and 172 people accused of unauthorized filming were also arrested," the spokesperson added. Undeclared number of prisoners yet to be released Montazerolmahdi did not specify how many of those arrested had since been released. He added that Iran's police handled more than 5,700 cases of cyber crimes such as online fraud and unauthorized withdrawals during the war, which he said had turned "cyberspace into an important battlefront."
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Fox News
Rural town to turn closed prison into ICE detention facility despite resident pushback
The small town of Mason, Tenn., has approved plans to turn a former prison into a migrant detention facility. CoreCivic, a private company, is set to operate the site following the approval of its contract, the Associated Press reported. The facility, which is now slated for conversion into a migrant detention center, was shuttered in 2021 after then-President Joe Biden ordered the Justice Department to halt the renewal of contracts with private detention facilities. On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump rescinded Biden's order. The Tuesday night meeting was attended by dozens of protesters and the scene frequently devolved into shouting matches, according to Fox 13 Memphis. Mason Vice Mayor Reynaldo Givhan told the outlet that while he voted in favor of CoreCivic, he "really had to do some soul searching" and ultimately decided to abstain from the second vote, which concerned ICE's contract. Census data shows that Mason has a population of just 1,337 and has a median household income of just over $47,000. Mason Mayor Eddie Noeman told Action News 5, an NBC affiliate, that the town saw this as a business opportunity and that it has "nothing to do with" anything going on inside the facility. The mayor, who is an Egyptian-American immigrant, also said that he is "looking for the best interest of the town," which in his view is to bring back jobs. However, some of the townspeople's ire may be because CoreCivic has faced $44.7 million in fines across multiple prisons, with the latest case happening in February, but it has had problems since 2022, including understaffing violations, the Associated Press reported. The outlet said it had reviewed documents showing that the company spent over $4.4 million to settle 80 lawsuits and out-of-court complaints about mistreatment, which included at least 22 inmate deaths. As the Trump administration pushes to deport illegal immigrants, some states have moved to partner with the federal government to expand ICE detention facilities. This includes Florida's Alligator Alcatraz, which recently hit a roadblock after a federal judge blocked construction at the facility. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has vowed to fight back. On Aug. 5, ICE announced its second state partnership, this time with Indiana, which will use part of the Miami Correctional Center for the "Speedway Slammer," which will house migrants. "Thanks to Governor Braun for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana's Speedway Slammer. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Fox News Digital reached out to CoreCivic but did not receive a response in time for publication.
