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Nicholas Rossi in court in person in Utah rape case
Former RI conman Nicholas Alahverdian, aka Nicholas Rossi, made his first in person appearance in a Utah court this week.
Prosecutors in Nicholas Alahverdian’s two Utah rape cases plan to call as witnesses as many as seven other women who claim the Rhode Island con man who faked his death sexually assaulted them.
Alahverdian, 37, was convicted of groping one of the perspective witnesses in Ohio in 2008 and ordered to register as a sex offender. But he was not charged in any of the other six alleged incidents which prosecutors report happened between 2007 and 2016.
His defense lawyers argue in court documents that allowing the seven women to testify, including three who say they were attacked in Rhode Island, would unfairly prejudice the juries in both cases.
“The state seeks to introduce, among other things, seemingly every ‘bad act’ Mr. Rossi is alleged to have committed in his life,” wrote his defense lawyer Samantha Dugan in the Salt Lake City case. (Alahverdian is charged under the last name of his stepfather, Rossi.)
“Admission of most of what the state seeks to introduce would violate Mr. Rossi’s right to a fair trial,” she argued, since Utah law prevents a defendant’s previous acts from being used to establish a defendant’s character.
But prosecutors in the cases argue that such evidence can be used for other purposes, including for establishing a defendant’s modus operandi and to defend against charges that the plaintiffs in the cases fabricated the rapes.
The seven perspective witnesses report meeting Alahverdian online and within short periods of time fell victim to his sexual aggression.
Prosecutors say they also plan to introduce the history of how Alahverdian faked his death in 2020 and for almost four years, as his discovery in Scotland and extradition case blossomed into an international media spectacle compounded by his farcical claims, Alahverdian insisted he was someone else.
That was until last October when, in a failed attempt to win bail, he confessed to the whole charade, telling a Utah judge he had fled to the United Kingdom, not to avoid any prosecutions (the FBI was also seeking him for alleged credit card fraud) but to escape death threats from unnamed Rhode Island lawmakers, angered over his lobbying efforts to improve the state’s child welfare system.
“Not only did he fake his own death and assume various aliases, but he vehemently denied that he was Nicholas Rossi during the extradition process – when he knew that he was being returned to face this first-degree felony charge of rape,” wrote Deputy Utah County Attorney McKay Lewis.
“Defendant’s extensive scheme to lie about his identity and avoid prosecution is strong evidence of his consciousness of guilt regarding the charged crime and should therefore be admitted,” said Lewis.
Authorities say Alahverdian raped a 21-year-old Orem woman in September 2008. The two met online and had been dating for a few weeks before breaking up over his growing aggressive nature, she told police.
He raped her, police say, after luring her back to his apartment with the promise he would repay her money owed her.
Two months after the alleged Orem rape, police say he raped a 26-year-old woman in Salt Lake City. Again, the couple had met online, dated briefly and even 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 say.
Among the seven perspective witnesses prosecutors reported planning to call is another Utah woman who claims Alahverdian forced intercourse with her in Clearfield, Utah in 2007; two woman who say they had to fight off Alahverdian’s sexual advances in his Pawtucket apartment in 2010; and a woman who lived in Warren who told police Alahverdian forced a sexual encounter upon her.
Alahverdian’s trial in the Salt Lake City case is scheduled to start in May. The Orem case is currently scheduled to go to trial in the fall.
Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com
Local News
A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.
Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.
The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said.
Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.
Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.
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CRANSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday.
The event was held at the Cranston Public Library at 9 a.m.
Reed and other leaders of WFRI hosted a panel discussion with women leaders in environmental and agricultural advocacy, education, community resilience, housing, finance, workforce development, and more, officials said.
Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday. (WJAR)
“Women have played a critical role in this process, most often without any recognition,” Reed said. “Today’s panel brings together an extraordinary group of women who are addressing the challenged of sustainability from various angles and I want to thank you all for your great efforts.”
The panelists highlighted their experiences, shared insights and tips on lifting up women’s voices, provided strategies for sparking change and more.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (1)
According to officials, some of the panelists included Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council Nessa Richman, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rhode Island College Kim Bright, Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and more.
Local News
A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.
Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.
The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.
That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said.
When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.
First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.
Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.
The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.
Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.
Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.
The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.
“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.
Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.
Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.
“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.
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