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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
A teen accused of trafficking a minor in Providence was ‘set-up' by other people, her attorneys say. Now, she may be deported.
Advertisement 'The charges on their face look serious,' MacDonald told the Globe. 'In reality, based upon the evidence that I have viewed, this is an extremely weak case that I have no doubt ... in court with evidence and cross examination, we could substantially destroy it. But there's no hearing, and there's no procedure while she's being detained out of state.' 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 'And that's been the problem with ICE these days: They're picking up people, detaining them out of state, and what happens to the criminal cases are you simply have no ability to contest the evidence, and warrants issue,' he continued. 'So not only do the charges linger, but the warrants linger, and therefore there's an inability to ever legally come back into the United States.' Advertisement Soriano-Neto was taken into ICE custody on March 11, the agency said in 'Children are among the most vulnerable members of society and anyone who would do them harm represents a significant threat to our community,' ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in a statement. According to a Providence police arrest report, on Jan. 14, officers met with the parents of a girl – whose name was redacted in the report – who said their daughter told them she was sexually assaulted by four men in Providence. The girl told authorities that on Jan. 8, she received a call around 8 a.m. from a friend, who was identified as Soriano-Neto, who told her to meet her on Atwells Avenue and that she was going to a party. The girl said she then left Mount Pleasant High School, met Soriano-Neto, and drove with her to a house on Concannon Street, where she was met by three men, the report states. Soriano-Neto 'asked her to make sure she gives them food and make sure she gets money from the three male subjects as well,' police wrote. The girl said she was able to get $100 cash from the men, which she gave to Soriano-Neto, according to the report. Soriano-Neto then left the house, leaving the girl by herself, police wrote. At around 2 p.m., four different men came to the house, police wrote. Details about what allegedly happened were redacted from the report: The men 'came into the house and began to [redacted], however they did not have [redacted] with her,' the report states. Advertisement The girl said she was able to defend herself and run away from them, according to police. As she was fleeing, someone she knew saw her and 'was able to help her,' the report states. That person brought her to a friend's house on Broad Street, where the girl spent the next three days before she was brought home on Jan. 11, according to police. The girl had been reported missing by her parents from Jan. 8 to 11, authorities wrote. According to the report, Soriano-Neto was arrested by Providence police on Feb. 20. ICE officials said she was charged with indecent solicitation of a child and trafficking of a minor. Court records show Soriano-Neto posted a $35,000 bond on Feb. 21. Another person, Saul Adalid Izaguirre Pavon, was also arrested in connection to the case on March 22, records show. MacDonald said Soriano-Neto is not a human trafficker. 'These people from high school that were supposedly her friends were apparently hooking up with men and getting cash for it, and when word got out, they pointed the finger – at least one of them did – at Vivian ... without any proof whatsoever other than their word," MacDonald said. In the report, police wrote, 'It should be noted that [redacted name]'s statement was vague and inconsistent.' MacDonald has asked the state Attorney General's Office to take a close look at the case. Salazar Tohme said felony cases typically have at least a six-month review in state court, but Soriano-Neto has not been afforded that since she was detained by ICE so quickly. Salzar Tohme is now seeking asylum status for Soriano-Neto, who already has an approved Special Immigrant Juvenile petition, but is still waiting for a visa number, she said. Advertisement Immigrants are eligible for SIJ status they have 'have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent,' according to 'We're put in this position where a child is essentially going to be sent back to her country, and she didn't get her day in state court, and I think that is a grave injustice,' Salzar Tohme said. She added, 'The more that this happens, the more that we need to realize that the system is completely broken and individualized cases need to be looked at more carefully.' ICE officials said Soriano-Neto was arrested on Oct. 25, 2017 after she unlawfully entered the United States at Calexico, Calif. and was later released on parole by ICE on Nov. 17, 2017. She would have been around 10 years old at the time. ICE did not respond to requests seeking more information. The Rhode Island US Attorney's Office also announced developments in two immigration-related cases on Thursday. Officials Prosecutors said Alvarado was previously deported in July 2015 after he was convicted in Connecticut on cocaine and heroin trafficking charges. But immigration officers learned he was back in the country last month when his fingerprints matched in the National Crime Information Center after he was arrested in Rhode Island for allegedly driving on a suspended license and on an obstruction charge, officials said. Alvarado is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25. Advertisement Prosecutors also Perez was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court in December 2023 on charges of simple assault and/or battery and disorderly conduct, officials said. He was removed from the country by ICE on Nov. 20, 2024. But on May 12, immigration officers learned he was in the United States when his fingerprints matched in the crime information center after he was arrested on May 11 in Rhode Island for domestic disorderly conduct and for allegedly violating a domestic no contact order, officials said. He is scheduled to be arraigned on June 2 and is being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions on the state-level charges, prosecutors said. Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Boston Globe
16-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Two R.I. shellfishing areas to see 10 additional days of harvesting each year, thanks to improved water quality
Related : Still the 'changes will add an average of 10 additional days of harvesting each year,' the department said. 'This change reflects ongoing water quality improvements in Narragansett Bay and our commitment to work collaboratively with the shellfishing industry,' department Director Terry Gray said in a statement. 'By working together through infrastructure investments, science-based environmental laws, and state-local-federal cooperation leading to the cleaner waters, we can continue increasing access to RI's shellfishing grounds.' 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 Improvements in water quality allowed the conditionally approved shellfish area in the Providence River to open in 2021 — the first time in 75 years — under the seven-day closure plan, officials said. The Greenwich Bay conditional area had the same plan in place for more than 30 years. Advertisement 'DEM's Office of Water Resources (OWR), following a recent review of data found that water quality in shellfish areas returns to safe levels six days after moderate rainfall of 0.5' to 1.2' in a 24-hour period," officials said. 'These positive results are due to long-term improvements like upgraded stormwater infrastructure, cesspool removal, and expanded sewer service.' Advertisement The changes come as the state observes 'This is a water quality success story for our environment, Rhode Island's quahoggers, and our food economy,' Governor Dan McKee said in a statement. 'Clean water is at the center of our way of life in the Ocean State.' Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Boston Globe
30-04-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Providence psychiatric hospital workers to strike over pay, staffing shortage, and increased workplace violence, union says
'After almost two months of negotiations, Care New England has failed to consider our proposals to offer needed training, raise wages and confront the workplace violence epidemic we experience almost daily,' Williams said in a statement. 'At the end of the day, if we don't solve these core issues, it is our patients who will suffer the consequences from the revolving door of staff who refuse to put their safety in jeopardy for the low wages we earn.' 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 According to SEIU District 1199, bargaining between the union and Care New England began in March, and the most recent contract expired on March 31, as the parties have so far been unable to make 'any meaningful progress' on key issues. Advertisement Union leaders have alleged the hospital operator has not done enough to keep its nurses, mental health workers, and other staff safe while on the job, citing a 41 percent increase in patient assaults on employees between 2022 and 2024. Advertisement The hospital has also fallen short of providing adequate wages for its staff, the union alleges, citing how 60 percent of its members reported struggling to afford food and housing costs. The workforce also suffers from 'chronic short staffing,' according to the union, which said there are currently 116 open positions at Butler. 'Low wages are the key reason staffing is so short and turnover is so high,' Dan Camp, a union member who works in behavioral health call intake at the hospital, said in a statement following last week's strike authorization vote. 'We have Butler staff who are struggling to feed their family and even living out of their cars - when people are worried about their basic needs it reduces the quality of the care and support we can provide,' Camp said. 'It is time Care New England addresses these problems head-on so we can work on providing a safe, therapeutic environment for our patients.' Raina C. Smith, a spokesperson for Care New England, said the hospital is 'deeply disappointed' by the strike notice. 'Butler Hospital has done everything possible to avoid this outcome, making comprehensive proposals that further our goal of addressing workplace violence and offering a total rewards package that includes generous wage increases, as well as a competitive benefits package,' Smith said in a statement. 'Striking will not bring us closer to an agreement,' Smith added. 'It will only result in lost wages for employees.' Earlier this month, the union sought an average wage increase of 79.3 percent from the current rates over a two-year period, Smith said. In response, the hospital offered increases between 15.6 and 32 percent over the course of a four-year contract, but the union 'offered no meaningful response' to the counterproposal, Smith said. Advertisement Both the union and the hospital said they remain committed to reaching a new contract. According to Smith, on Tuesday, the hospital recommended using the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and said it is 'hopeful that FMCS's involvement will help move the parties toward an agreement.' In the meantime, the hospital will be open during the planned strike and has contracted with a third-party vendor to ensure patient care continues uninterrupted, Smith said. 'We urge the union to reconsider this path and return to the bargaining table prepared to engage in productive dialogue,' Smith said. Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Amid R.I. primary care crisis, Governor McKee unveils $5m plan to recruit, retain doctors
Yet, nearly 25,000 adult and pediatric patients were informed that their doctor's office, Anchor Medical Associates, would be shutting down this year. That's on top of the 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 Related : Advertisement In response to Anchor's impending closure, McKee said he plans to file a budget amendment to accelerate a proposed review of primary care provider rates. Under this review, rate increases, which have been advocated for by patients and health care executives for years, may not be enacted until July 1, 2027, according to Kristen Pono Sousa, the state's director of Medicaid. 'I don't think primary care in Rhode Island has two years to wait,' said David Gellis, a primary care physician and the CEO of Advertisement The governor said a data analysis would need to be completed in order for the state's Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner to recommend rate increases for primary care providers. However, organizations such as the 'Share the data with us,' said McKee. 'I haven't seen it.' Governor Dan McKee on Tuesday released a modest plan with short- and long-term solutions to assist Rhode Island's struggling primary care system. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Even with higher reimbursement rates, patients in neighboring Massachusetts are still traveling out of state to find care, and Responding to McKee, some Rhode Island state officials voiced concerns that waiting another two years to raise provider rates could lead to further problems in the state's health care landscape. McKee is 'hanging his hat on promises of future studies and reviews, demonstrating a deep misunderstanding of the issues at hand,' said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha in a statement Tuesday. Advertisement Arches Medical has taken on at least 2,000 of Anchor Medical's patients, Gellis told the Globe, and is offering jobs to some of Anchor's providers. But it's a costly endeavor for practices, he said. McKee also announced Tuesday that the state would provide $5 million in grants for primary care practices, to support the recruitment and retention of providers and increase 'access and capacity' to serve patients. Interested practices can receive a maximum of $375,000 each. Applications are due May 16. 'If that gets into people's hands quickly, that will be significant in the short,' said Gellis. When asked how quickly his practice would need to receive those funds to help bridge a gap, Gellis said, 'Now.' Neronha, who has been increasingly critical of McKee on health care issues, called the grant program 'incremental' and 'vaguely defined,' saying that it will pay administrative costs 'rather than increasing reimbursement to primary care physicians.' Anchor Medical has been in business for 25 years, employs 22 providers and had offices Lincoln, Providence, and Warwick. State officials said they did not know how many patients had successfully found a new provider, citing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or Despite Anchor's 'positive reputation' and diverse payer mix between public and private payers, Secretary Richard Charest, who oversees the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services, said Anchor's closure was 'primarily due to internal operational challenges.' When asked for more information by a Globe reporter, Charest said only, 'they had no liquidity in the end ." Advertisement McKee also filed a budget amendment to require hospitals, nursing facilities, health care centers, behavioral health clinics, large physician practices and other providers to submit quarterly financial reports to the state. He said these reports will create an 'early warning system' that will allow the state to solve issues with financially troubled health care organizations 'before they reach the point of no return.' Alexa Gagosz can be reached at
Boston Globe
07-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Aaron Thomas trial: Latest updates on the R.I. basketball coach accused of conducting naked ‘fat tests' on teen athletes
April 7, 2025: As trial begins, former R.I. high school coach used 'fat tests' to touch naked students, prosecutors say SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — Advertisement That's the question 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 And it's the first question Assistant Attorney General Timothy G. Healy asked aloud in Washington County Superior Court on Monday, as he began his opening argument before a jury now charged with determining whether Thomas, 57, is guilty of second-degree child molestation and second-degree assault. Thomas told students some of the tests would help them jump higher and run faster, Healy said. But, Healy told jurors, in the coming days experts will testify the tests performed were not medically valid. Advertisement Thomas, who did not answer questions from reporters as he entered court on Monday, is expected to testify during the trial, according to his attorney, John E. MacDonald. Jurors will also hear testimony from at least nine former students, some of whom attended North Kingstown High School in the 1990s, Healy said. Podcast: What we know about the 'fat tests' at North Kingstown High School Catch up on previous stories Oct. 30, 2021: Nov. 2, 2011: Nov. 5, 2021: Nov. 6, 2021: Nov. 10, 2021: Nov. 11, 2021: Nov. 12, 2021: Nov. 16, 2021: Nov. 23, 2021: Dec. 15, 2021: Advertisement Feb. 22, 2022: March 9, 2022: March 14, 2022: March 18, 2022: April 20, 2022: May 10, 2022: May 27, 2022: June 1, 2022: June 13, 2022: July 21, 2022: Amanda Milkovits can be reached at
