SMITHFIELD — It took four games, and came in a losing effort, but Rhode Island FC finally scored its first goal at home by a player donning amber and blue colors.

In the club’s season opener, it was a New Mexico United own goal that gave RIFC its first score. Since that March 16 contest, Rhode Island had been shutout in back-to-back games at Beirne Stadium at Bryant University.

Clay Holstad’s right-footed blast on an indirect free kick in the box from Noah Fuson found the top right slot for club history in front of 4,000 on Friday night. RIFC managed the score in the 89^th minute but was unable to equalize Phoenix Rising FC and fell 3-1.

Rhode Island (1-2-4) snagged its first win in program history last week, a 2-1 decision against Las Vegas Lights FC, but lost for the first time at home this season after three consecutive draws.

Phoenix opened the scoring just six minutes into the match when Rémi Cabral deposited a shot bottom right from Emil Cuello off a cross into the box. Rhode Island tweaked its defensive look after the goal to pressure Rising, the league’s defending champion, higher. It worked, but Phoenix landed its second goal shortly after as Cabral found space at the top of the box in the 34^th minute.

“Unfortunately, right as it happened, we gave up the second goal,” RIFC coach Khano Smith said of the defensive change. “But then from there on, up until right when we scored, I thought we started to make an impression on the game.”

RIFC owned possession in the second half and held a 54.1% edge for the game. The chances were there as Albert Dikwa’s penalty kick, awarded on hand ball in the box by Phoenix, in the 41^st minute was denied. And Mark Doyle’s header from Holstad in the 79^th minute went over the bar.

Phoenix was limited to just four shots on target and RIFC had a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks, but the club was unable to manufacture goals again in the attacking third.

“We definitely, I think we had enough opportunities,” Smith said. “Credit to them, they went up two and then they didn’t need to score again. Just like us last week in Las Vegas, we scored two in the first half and we didn’t really need to push the game.”

Had Dikwa converted the penalty kick, Holstad’s goal would have been the equalizer as RIFC tried to salvage a draw. But the striker was denied on the attempt to the keeper’s right for his second consecutive failed penalty kick this season.

Phoenix capped the scoring on the counterattack in the 90^th minute when Federico Varela used one touch to find the short post off a cross.

“When a team is compacted, they don’t have to come out,” Smith said. “We have to be the aggressor and create opportunities and score them. It felt like we were missing a little bit of that.”

jrousseau@providencejournal.com

On X: @ByJacobRousseau

BOSTON – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Massachusetts State Police Colonel John Mawn Jr. announced that Jovan Lemon, 29, of Providence, RI, Paul Lemon, 30, of Warwick, RI, Steven Berdugo, 28, of Providence, RI and Paul Miller, 46 of Woonsocket, RI have been arrested and charged for their alleged role in 43 burglaries and break-ins across 25 towns in Massachusetts between 2018 and 2024. The defendants are part of an organized burglary ring with ties to a violent Providence-based gang known to law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island.

The defendants were directly indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury on April 18, 2024 for a total of 95 counts of unarmed burglary and breaking and entering a dwelling house in the daytime with intent to commit a felony.  The incidents giving rise to the charges occurred in the communities of Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Easton, Hopkinton, Lincoln, Weston, Sudbury, Andover, Bellingham, Boxford, Franklin, Hudson, Littleton, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Attleboro, Norwell, Pembroke, Seekonk, Sharon, Southborough, Wenham, and Westwood between July 21, 2018 and March 30, 2024. 

The residents of the majority of homes were persons of Indian or South Asian heritage. Investigators believe that they were targeted based on of their ethnicity relying on a belief that their households were more likely to contain precious metals, jewelry and other valuable heirlooms.

Property reported stolen in the breaks included many pieces of diamonds and other gems and studded jewelry with values of individual pieces up to approximately $75,000; gold bracelets, necklaces and  earrings and large quantities of cash.  In several instances, the property had been secured in locked safes, weighing up to 400 pounds, which the perpetrators removed from the residence along with the stolen valuables.

The aggregate reported value of the stolen property exceeds $4 million.

“The defendants in this case were very sophisticated.  They targeted victims based on their ethnicity and then gathered information about their targets in order to strike when families were not at home.  They were disciplined in concealing their identity, avoiding alarms and minimizing cell phone use before, during and after the breaks and using Wi-Fi jammers.  Despite these challenges and the complicated nature and breadth of this investigation, law enforcement collaboratively and persistently worked to today begin the process of holding these four defendants accountable,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan. 

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Cyr, commander of the Massachusetts State Police Division of Homeland Security, added: “The theft crew we arrested today stole countless items of great monetary, emotional, and cultural value from families in multiple states, and did so by violating the sanctity of their homes. Such brazen criminal actions will not be tolerated in our communities. This investigation highlights the dedication of our law enforcement partners to work collaboratively to take down complex criminal networks.”

The arrests are the result of a nine-month investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the District Attorney’s Office, and the Massachusetts State Police Division of Homeland Security, including the MACrimeNet program operated by the MSP Fusion Center. 

The MACrimeNet program provides police from different departments capabilities to obtain and share intelligence about criminal acts and patterns, suspects, and other relevant information to help solve complex or cross-jurisdictional cases.

Further assistance was provided by the Rhode Island State Police and local police departments across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The defendants were taken into custody without incident Friday morning after being arrested in their homes by members of the United States Marshals Service/Rhode Island State Police Task Force.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Michael Klunder.

This is an open and ongoing investigation being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police in partnership with Police Departments from the communities of Andover, Billerica, Bellingham, Boxborough, Boxford, Carlisle, Easton, Franklin, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Attleboro, Norwell, Pembroke, Seekonk, Sharon, Southborough, Sudbury, Wenham, Weston and Westwood in Massachusetts; Avon, CT; East Lyme, CT and Connecticut State Police; Barrington, RI, Cranston, RI and Lincoln RI; and Nashua, NH with additional assistance from Holliston, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Walpole, Wellesley and Westborough MA Police Departments, Cranston, Cumberland, Providence and West Warwick, RI Police Departments and the United States Marshals Service/RISP Task Force.

Not many people can call Jamie Foxx a coworker, but Toshia Galligan can.

The Coventry, Rhode Island native is set to make her acting debut alongside Foxx and several Hollywood stars with the release of Not Another Church Movie, due in theatres on May 10^th.

Galligan and her castmate Luc Ashley stopped by the Fun 107 studio to give the details on the upcoming film.

Who Is Toshia Galligan?

Galligan got her start in pageantry but felt she was destined for other avenues, and her attention turned to modeling,

“I did Rhode Island Fashion Week…that led to commercials for Boston Cosmetic and Laser Center, which then led to meeting directors,” shared Galligan.

She eventually crossed paths with James Cummings, the producer of Not Another Church Movie.

“He said to me, ‘I have a role for you,’ and I haven’t looked back since,” said Galligan.

Becoming an actor felt unreal to Galligan, but thanks to Jamie Foxx, she felt right at home on her first movie set.

“I didn’t believe it was really happening until I met Jamie Foxx’s eyes, and we smiled at each other, and I said, ‘This is really happening,’” she laughed. “He’s really cool to work with. On set, he kept everyone in great spirits. I was nervous but he made me feel really comfortable because he just made me laugh the whole time.”

Keep an eye out for Galligan as “Earth Angel”, one of God’s right-hand women.

READ MORE: Providence Bistro Gets the Spotlight from Jamie Lee Curtis

What Is Not Another Church Movie About?

The official synopsis:

Hoprah Windfall (Luc Ashley), fretting as her ratings plummet because her talk show and audience need some new blood, calls on God (Jamie Foxx) and demands His help. God and his angels decide there’s no better choice to replace her with than the hardest-working man in the world, Taylor Pherry (Kevin Daniels). But when the Devil (Mickey Rourke) overhears this, he comes up with a fiendish plan of his own to disrupt the whole ordeal.

While Taylor prepares for one of his many jobs that mostly entail helping his dysfunctional but lovable family through their trials and tribulations, God appears and orders him to help Hoprah accomplish her mission, by writing a movie.

It’s a fun, parody comedy that takes playful jabs at Tyler Perry movies, with familiar actors joining the cast such as Vivica A. Fox, Kyla Pratt, Lamorne Morris, and Tisha Campbell.

Leave The Kids at Home for This One

Galligan was joined in studio by Luc Ashley, actor and comedian, who portrays a parody character of Oprah by the name of “Hoprah Windfall” in the movie.

“Everyone is not getting a car, but they’re getting something,” joked Ashley.

Ashley raved about leading man Kevin Daniels and promised non-stop laughter throughout the film.

“This is not a family movie, leave the kids at home,” she said. “It’s a good laugh. We need some comedy right now.”

Not Another Church Movie hits theaters on May 10^th.