Rhode Island
R.I. man scammed out of $160k helps federal authorities catch an alleged culprit – The Boston Globe
An alert popped up on his computer claiming he was under investigation for trying to buy child pornography and directed him to call a certain telephone number, according to court documents. The man told authorities his call led him to multiple unidentified people, including a person purporting to work in the fraud unit at Citizens Bank, and then another who claimed to be with the US Treasury Department. They spun a tale about a compromised Social Security number and an investigation into money laundering, and convinced the man to hand over thousands of dollars to “government agents” to secure his funds, court documents said.
He was directed to withdraw about $30,000 in cash from his Citizens account and buy $130,000 in gold bars from a Rhode Island precious metals dealer, and turn everything over to a courier who came to his house, according to court documents. He was told not to tell anyone about what was going on.
By mid-September, the man realized he was being scammed and spoke to local police and a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations.
When the scammers demanded $160,000 in gold bars, the federal authorities came up with their own plan with the help of the man and a local gold dealer.
The scammer who claimed to be in Citizens fraud unit instructed the man to wire $160,000 from his account to the gold dealer and said he would direct a “government agent” to come to his house in Narragansett to pick up the gold bars, according to court documents.
Working with law enforcement, the man and the gold dealer pretended to go through with the deal on Wednesday, according to court documents. The owner of the gold shop created a fake receipt documenting the sale of $160,000 and handed the man a box. Law enforcement had created fake gold bars, which were silver bars painted gold. When the scammer from the “Citizens fraud unit” asked the man for proof of the transaction, he texted pictures of the fake receipt and the fake bars, according to court records.
The caller from the “Citizens fraud unit” said he would have a government agent come to collect the goods. A driver in a black Mercedes SUV with a New Jersey license plate soon arrived at the house in Narragansett. The man handed over the box with fake gold bars, and the man in the Mercedes drove away.
Law enforcement had the Mercedes pulled over in Westbrook, Conn., about 40 miles from the Rhode Island state line. The driver was identified as Jirui Liu, 22, from Ontario, Canada. The bag holding the box of fake gold bars was on the floor of the passenger seat, according to court documents.
Through a Mandarin interpreter, Liu told the special agent for Homeland Security Investigations that he’d been in the United States visiting friends and playing poker in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and was in the area taking “some stuff” back to New York for a guy he knew from a game called “League of Legends,” according to an affidavit supporting a warrant for his arrest. Liu said he didn’t know what was in the box, but that he was supposed to deliver it to some park in New York, according to the affidavit.
Liu is being held without bail after an arraignment Thursday in US District Court in Providence on charges of money laundering, fraud, and two counts of conspiracy. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.
Authorities continue to search for Brown University gunman
Authorities are still searching for the gunman who opened fire on Brown University’s campus during finals.
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is urging local elementary and secondary schools to review safety protocols following the mass shooting at Brown University.
Days after two people were killed and nine others were injured in a shooting on the college campus, the department reminded schools statewide to ensure they are following existing safety policies, including keeping exterior doors closed and locked at all times.
“While the events of this weekend are tragic, they are also a reminder and an opportunity to re-train, reinforce, and go through the necessary safety steps, once more,” Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said in a statement.
She emphasized the importance of following the protocols, including visitor policies, “as designed and written.”
In its latest announcement, RIDE also provided a list of resources for students, families, and school staff for “navigating difficult conversations” about topics such as violence and hate.
Rhode Island schools reminded to keep interior doors closed, exterior doors closed and locked
While all exterior doors should remain closed and locked, the department said, all interior doors should also remain closed. All visitors should go through a single, secure point of entry, according to RIDE.
In Providence, all elementary, middle, and high schools are also required to establish staff “crisis teams” and conduct 15 safety drills each year, according to the district’s existing safety protocols.
In the wake of the Brown University shooting on Dec. 13, Providence Public Schools said students should expect an increased police presence on and near their campuses.
All after-school activities, sporting events, and field trips at Providence schools planned for Monday, Dec. 15, and Tuesday, Dec. 16, were canceled out of an “abundance of caution.”
The district said that it would announce its plans for the rest of the week as soon as possible.
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 15, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 15 drawing
23-35-59-63-68, Powerball: 02, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 15 drawing
12-16-27-34-41, Lucky Ball: 12
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from Dec. 15 drawing
Midday: 4-9-8-3
Evening: 1-3-5-3
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from Dec. 15 drawing
10-13-28-33-37, Extra: 35
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
- Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
- Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Vigil in Lippitt Park for victims of mass shooting at Brown University
See the Dec. 14, 2025 vigil in Lippitt Park following the mass shooting at Brown University.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, along with Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and others, announced Dec. 14 that they were releasing the person of interest originally detained for the mass shooting at Brown University.
Neronha said that tips “led to us detaining a person of interest,” but that the evidence “now points in a different direction.”
“We have a murderer out there, frankly,” Neronha said.
As attorney general, Neronha and his office will play a large role in the investigation over the shooting. Here’s what to know about the top legal official in Rhode Island.
Who is Peter Neronha?
Neronha is Rhode Island’s 74th attorney general. He was sworn in on Nov. 6, 2018.
As attorney general, Neronha leads an office that “prosecutes criminal cases; represents state agencies, departments and commissions in litigation; initiates legal action when necessary to protect the interests of Rhode Islanders; and oversees the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation,” according to his office.
Previously, Neronha was the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from 2009 to 2017. He was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
He began his career in public service as a Rhode Island Special Assistant Attorney General in 1996. He was later appointed Assisted Attorney General, and then joined United States Attorney’s Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2002.
Neronha is a fourth generation native of Jamestown, Rhode Island. He has undergraduate and law degrees from Boston College.
Neronha’s relationship to Trump
During President Donald Trump’s second term, Neronha has sued the president and his administration over 40 times.
Some of the lawsuits that he has co-led include ones over withheld education funds and the dismantling of federal agencies like Health and Human Services and those that support public libraries and museums.
Neronha often criticizes the president in his lawsuits. In a press release announcing a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration Nov. 25 for reducing grant funds for projects that could help people experiencing homelessness, Neronha said that the administration continues to “punch down” on vulnerable Americans.
“The President and his Administration don’t care about making life easier or better for Americans; they only care about political capitulation, consolidating power, and further enriching the wealthy,” he said.
In a press conference earlier this year, Neronha said that he sues the Trump administration when the president has broken the law, when Americans have been harmed and when they have the legal standing to bring an action against the administration.
While it’s unclear if Trump has ever commented on Neronha specifically, he has often attacked judges who have tried to block his policies.
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