Latest news with #Alahverdian
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Nicholas Alahverdian wanted to be ‘relevant.' Now he's a convicted rapist.
This is a tragic understatement, but it turns out Alahverdian – who has also gone by Nicholas Rossi and then Arthur Knight when he was on the lam in Scotland – had a much more sinister history than any of the reporters he called incessantly over the years ever realized. Advertisement It has to be a relief for at least one of his victims that Alahverdian is going to serve a substantial prison sentence – potentially for the rest of his life. But it's difficult to avoid looking in the mirror and wondering about the role of Rhode Island's media in amplifying his claims and looking the other way when seemingly obvious red flags emerged. Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up If you don't know Alahverdian's story, it's every bit worthy of a movie script. That's why there have been multiple The short version: He was an advocate for reforming the child welfare system in Rhode Island, and led a secret life as a criminal who conned multiple people out of money. And, it turns out, he was a rapist. He was finally caught when he landed in a Scottish hospital with COVID-19 while living under an alias, and was extradited to Utah, where he was wanted for rape. Advertisement Alahverdian popped on my radar in 2010 when I was a young reporter; in fact, I was still bartending to make ends meet at the time, and we met when he brought a date to Gregg's in Providence, where I was working. No one disputes that Alahverdian had a rough upbringing – a dysfunctional family life that led to even more dysfunctional stints in foster care, which ultimately led him to sue the state of Rhode Island. Along the way, he became obsessed with local politics, became a State House intern, and became a fierce advocate for reforming the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. I found him to be polished, intense, and strangely needy for someone in his early 20s. But he had the vibe of a poser in a middle school cafeteria – the type who laughed a little too loudly at jokes, sucked up to the cool kids, and just wanted to be accepted as 'relevant' – that was a word he enjoyed using. Sometime in 2011, I remember having a drink at Local 121, a popular politico bar in Providence that no longer exists. The room was filled with current and former elected officials, operatives, and journalists, and Alahverdian was there working the room. He wasn't exactly part of the group, but he wasn't exactly unwelcome, either. No one was eager to be his friend, but no one minded that he was there. It was like he was trying to will himself into the picture, even if he didn't quite fit the frame. Advertisement He latched onto reporters like me because he thought we could make him more relevant – and many of us took the bait. I've always taken some pride in not writing about him or his terrifying stories of abuse while in state care, but I can't really attribute those decisions to impeccable instincts. I liked exclusive stories, and he was a fixture on the 6 p.m. news. I did, however, pick up the phone when he called, and he called a lot… for years. I can't speak for every reporter who covered him, but I don't think they simply fell for his ruse. He had a story to tell: It mostly checked out, and busy journalists found him to be highly quotable and always available. Still, there were warning signs. A quick background check on Alahverdian showed he had legal problems in the past, although the details were vague. He had spent some time in both Ohio and Utah, but didn't talk much about those experiences. It turns out he was a registered sex offender, based on an incident at a community college in Ohio. He also had a stint as a student at Harvard's extension school, but he spoke about attending Harvard as though he was an undergraduate. I remember asking another journalist in town about Alahverdian's criminal record, and they were more sympathetic. Anyone who experienced what he did as a child could fall off track as an adult, the reporter reasoned. Besides, it didn't make his story any less true. What we didn't know at the time was that a rape kit from 2008 was sitting on a shelf in Utah waiting to be tested. By the time it was, Alahverdian was mostly out of sight and out of mind in Rhode Island. Advertisement It's unclear exactly when he landed in Scotland, but law enforcement now believes that was an effort to evade rape charges in Utah, and a federal fraud investigation out of Ohio. It had been at least a year since I had heard from Alahverdian when I received a press release on Jan. 10, 2020, claiming that he was diagnosed with late-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I remember feeling bad for him, but also thinking, very cynically, that at least I wouldn't have to answer his phone calls anymore. Of course, I was wrong about that, because I ended up having to talk with a woman named She was irate that the Globe wouldn't run Alahverdian's obituary. We actually initially published an Associated Press story on his death, but I asked for it to be taken down because something didn't seem right. I had no reason to believe he was a criminal in hiding, but I wouldn't put it past him to fake his own death and seek attention from local journalists – and all the details were coming from an unknown person. Law enforcement officials now believe Alahverdian was seeking to use all the attention he got for his death to throw them off his scent. In the end, Alahverdian's story fell apart. He has since admitted that he faked his own death, although he claimed he was hiding out because of threats made against him in Rhode Island – none of which appear to be true. Advertisement For years, Alahverdian fought to control his own narrative – to make himself matter, to keep himself in the headlines, to make sure he was the one telling the story. But in that Utah courtroom this week, none of the spin, aliases, or theatrics mattered. The jury didn't see an advocate or a victim. They saw a rapist. He once told me he just wanted to be 'relevant.' Now he is, for all the worst reasons – and in a way he'll never be able to rewrite. Dan McGowan can be reached at
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
The man who faked his death, fooled the world, is now facing justice for rape in Utah
A Rhode Island man who once staged his own death in an elaborate international hoax to evade sexual assault charges has been convicted of first-degree rape in Utah, prosecutors announced. A Salt Lake County jury on Wednesday, August 13, found 38-year-old Nicholas Alahverdian guilty of raping a 26-year-old woman in 2008. The verdict followed a three-day trial, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. 'We are grateful to the survivor in this case for her willingness to come forward, years after this attack took place,' District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement. 'We appreciate her patience as we worked to bring the defendant back to Salt Lake County so that this trial could take place and she could get justice. It took courage and bravery to take the stand and confront her attacker to hold him accountable.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Linda Kozlowski, 67, Shows Off Her Perfect Figure In A New Photo The Noodle Box Undo Prosecutors said Alahverdian met the woman online, began dating her, and quickly proposed. The pair purchased wedding rings, but the relationship soon turned abusive. After a public argument at a shopping mall turned violent, the woman told police, Alahverdian took her back to his apartment, refused to let her leave, and raped her. The charge carries a penalty of five years to life in the Utah State Correctional Facility. Sentencing is set for October 20. Live Events Alahverdian, who was previously charged under the surname Rossi, still faces another rape trial in Utah involving a different woman from 2008. From 'Arthur Knight' to US extradition Alahverdian has been held without bail since January 2024, when authorities extradited him from Scotland. For three years, he posed as 'Arthur Knight,' claiming to be a former Irish orphan wrongly accused, in a bizarre performance that played out in the press and in Scottish courts. A Scottish judge who presided over his extradition proceedings later ruled he 'is as dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative.' He dropped the hoax in November 2024 during a Utah bail hearing, insisting his deception was to avoid 'death threats' rather than evade justice. Prosecutors argued he remained a flight risk, pointing out his English wife continued to send him money 'that could assist him in potential flight.' The judge denied bail. Long history of evasion Alahverdian, who grew up in foster care in Rhode Island and became an outspoken critic of the state's child welfare system , claimed he fled the US in 2017 due to threats from politicians. By 2019, he was trying to have his name removed from a sex offender registry. FBI investigators were also looking into allegations that he used his former foster father's identity to run up $200,000 in credit card charges. He told Rhode Island reporters he had late-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A month later, a woman identifying herself as his wife claimed he had died. But in September 2020, Utah County issued an arrest warrant for Nicholas Rossi, his stepfather's surname, in connection with another rape case. Authorities tracked him to Scotland via iCloud and banking records. He was arrested in December 2021 in a Glasgow hospital after recovering from a COVID-19 coma. Other Utah allegations Alahverdian was previously convicted in Ohio of groping a woman at a community college in 2008. Investigators say DNA from that case tied him to the rape of a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, in September 2008, a separate incident from the case decided this week. The Salt Lake City victim in the current trial came forward after seeing news coverage of his extradition fight. She testified that after the shopping mall altercation in November 2008, Alahverdian threatened to call the police and accuse her of hitting him if she didn't drive him home, and then raped her once they arrived at his apartment. No DNA evidence was available in the Salt Lake case, prosecutors said, but jurors convicted based on testimony and supporting evidence. Alahverdian has petitioned to be prosecuted under his birth name, but a Utah judge denied the request.
USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
Man accused of faking his death to evade charges found guilty of rape in Utah
A Rhode Island conman accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to avoid rape and sexual assault allegations has been convicted of felony rape in the first of two criminal cases against him in Utah, prosecutors said. A jury in Salt Lake County found Nicholas Alahverdian, 38, guilty of the first-degree rape of a 26-year-old Salt Lake County woman in 2008, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. The jury reached the guilty verdict on Wednesday, Aug. 13, following a three-day trial. 'We are grateful to the survivor in this case for her willingness to come forward, years after this attack took place," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement. "We appreciate her patience as we worked to bring the defendant back to Salt Lake County so that this trial could take place and she could get justice. It took courage and bravery to take the stand and confront her attacker to hold him accountable." Alahverdian's conviction stems from charges that he raped his then-girlfriend, a woman whom he had met online, according to prosecutors. Shortly after the two began dating, prosecutors said Alahverdian told the woman they should get married and they purchased wedding rings. But Alahverdian soon became verbally and emotionally abusive, prosecutors said. An argument at a shopping mall turned violent, and when the couple returned to Alahverdian's apartment, he refused to let her leave and then raped her, according to prosecutors. The charge is punishable by five years to life in the Utah State Correctional Facility, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20. Alahverdian, who was charged under his former surname Rossi, also faces additional rape charges involving a different woman in Utah in 2008. He has yet to go to trial on those charges. What to know. Nicholas Alahverdian extradited to US four years after faking his death. Nicholas Alahverdian extradited to U.S. in 2024 Alahverdian has been held without bail in a Utah county jail since January 2024, when authorities extradited him from Scotland. He had spent three years in Scotland pretending to be "Arthur Knight," a former Irish orphan and victim of misidentification, in an outlandish pretense that played out before international media and an extradition court. A Scottish judge, who had tolerated Alahverdian's charade during hearings on his identity, cleared the way for Alahverdian's return to the United States − concluding that he 'is as dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative.' Alahverdian finally gave up his hoax in November 2024 while asking a Utah District Court judge for bail. During the hearing, he alleged that his years of deception and name changes were part of an effort to protect himself from 'death threats' and not because he was evading authorities. Prosecutors argued that Alahverdian, who uses oxygen and a wheelchair, remained a flight risk despite his physical condition. The judge denied bail, noting that Alahverdian's English wife was still providing him money 'that could assist him in potential flight." UK court could help decide: Is he a Utah rape suspect named Nick or an Englishman named Knight? Why did Nicholas Alahverdian fake his own death? Alahverdian, who grew up in foster care and later became a critic of Rhode Island's child welfare system, has alleged that he received death threats from unnamed state politicians for his advocacy work for children in state care a decade earlier. In 2017, he took a one-way fight to Ireland to escape those alleged threats and to pursue public relations work before he eventually made his way to Scotland. Prosecutors said Alahverdian tried to fake his own death and fled the United States to avoid being located. By 2019, Alahverdian was attempting to get his name removed from a registered sex offenders list, which requires offenders to keep police informed on their current address. During that time, the FBI also began investigating Alahverdian for credit card fraud after his former foster father told authorities that Alahverdian had spent $200,000 on cards taken out using his foster father's name and financial records. In January 2020, Alahverdian started to spread the word to Rhode Island media outlets that he had late-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The following month, a woman who described herself as Alahverdian's wife and a foundation under his name notified reporters that he had died. Then in September 2020, Utah County authorities issued an arrest warrant for Nicholas Rossi, which is the last name of his stepfather. Investigators later tracked him to Scotland after searching his iCloud account and bank records, and he was arrested at a hospital in December 2021 after waking up from a coma caused by COVID. Alahverdian, who has used several different aliases, has appealed in recent weeks to the judge in his Salt Lake County case that he now be charged under his birth name, Alahverdian. The judge has denied the request. What is Alahverdian accused of in Utah? Alahverdian was previously convicted of groping a woman at an Ohio community college in 2008, according to authorities. He then attempted to sue the woman for libel and had his appeal request tossed when his key piece of supposedly new evidence was ruled a fake blog post. Investigators said DNA from that case connected Alahverdian to the rape of a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, in September 2008. The trial this week, which began on Aug. 11, stems from allegations that he raped his former girlfriend in November 2008. No DNA evidence tied him to that incident, investigators have said, but she came forward after recognizing Alahverdian during his international extradition case. As in the Orem case, authorities say Alahverdian met the Salt Lake City woman online. They dated briefly before the relationship quickly sped up and they bought wedding rings. But after a violent argument at a shopping mall − Alahverdian threatened to call the police and report that she had hit him if she didn't let him back in her car − the two returned to his apartment, where he raped her, police said. Nicholas Alahverdian case: American who faked his own death could return to US after bizarre trial ends in Scotland
NBC News
5 days 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.
