Rhode Island

Seven women, some from RI, may be called to testify against Nick Alahverdian in Utah. Here’s why.

Published

12 months ago

March 11, 2025

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Seven women, some from RI, may be called to testify against Nick Alahverdian in Utah. Here’s why.

Utah prosecutors plan to call other women to testify they were assaulted by Nicholas Alahverdian
Alahverdian admitted to faking his death in 2020 and living under an assumed name in Scotland.
Alahverdian’s case has been an international sensation, spawning several podcasts and true crime documentaries.

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 will also talk about Alahverdian faking his death

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.

Several witnesses are from incidents in Rhode Island

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

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Rhode Island

Thousands drop public health insurance coverage in RI after premiums spike

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Thousands drop public health insurance coverage in RI after premiums spike

Thousands of Rhode Islanders dropped their health insurance plans after federal subsidies expired.
Enrollment in HealthSource RI, the state’s marketplace, fell by 20% in early 2024.
The average premium for enrollees more than doubled as federal funding ended.

Thousands of Rhode Islanders dropped health insurance coverage through Rhode Island’s public insurance marketplace instead of maintaining plans with rising premiums and lower subsidies, HealthSource RI said.

Enrollment through HealthSource, Rhode Island’s “Obamacare” exchange, plunged 20% between the end of last year and the close of the annual enrollment period a month later, as federal funding for premium tax credits expired, according to a HealthSource new release.

There were 48,060 individual and family enrollments on Dec. 31 of last year, the day the premium subsidies from the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act ended.

On Feb. 1, there were 38,557 enrollments.

Before this drop, HealthSource has posted enrollment increases almost every year since Affordable Care Act exchanges launched in 2013.

How did we get here?

Last year, the Republican-controlled federal government declined to extend premium tax credits after a protracted budget battle with congressional Democrats, who are now negotiating to restore the health insurance subsidies.

The lapse in subsidies coincided with an increase in premiums, driven by a combination of factors, which sent the total cost of coverage climbing.

The average premium across HealthSource enrollees more than doubled (101%,) the exchange said, or $111 per person, per month.

Many enrollees opted for cheaper insurance plans despite their higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.

Others dropped coverage altogether.

“The increase in premiums, combined with the decrease in federal supports, makes this an incredibly challenging year for folks depending on HealthSource RI for health coverage,” HealthSource Director Lindsay Lang said in the release. “Having health coverage helps protect against one bad turn of luck becoming years of financial burden. We will work with every customer to find options that are best for their needs and budget, and continue to work with state leaders and our federal delegation to find long-term solutions.”

Could help be on the way?

Gov. Dan McKee included $9.5 million in his proposed state budget for the year starting July 1 to subsidize coverage for some of the lowest-income exchange enrollees.

The enrollment declines show that may be too little for some Rhode Islanders, and too late for others.

“It is disheartening but not surprising that, as President Trump’s policies have caused health insurance costs to skyrocket, more Rhode Islanders are struggling to pay for health coverage,” McKee said.

Since the exchange opened in 2013, Rhode Island’s uninsured rate has declined by two thirds, down to 2.2%, HealthSource said.

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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Powerball, Numbers Midday winning numbers for March 9, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 9 drawing

22-23-28-36-54, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from March 9 drawing

Midday: 5-7-4-4

Evening: 2-1-3-2

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from March 9 drawing

02-14-16-34-35, Extra: 10

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 9 drawing

06-16-26-41-43, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life 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 Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 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.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 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.

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Rhode Island

Spring And Summer Concert Guide: 10 Can’t-Miss Shows In Rhode Island

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Spring And Summer Concert Guide: 10 Can’t-Miss Shows In Rhode Island

Whether with a stop on a national or international tour or a regional favorite, the spring and summer concert calendar is filling up in Rhode Island.

The Ravers, Newport’s reggae band, comes to Rhode Island in April. There are plenty of concerts in the area that will have you dancing all spring and summer long, including some regional favorites.

We’ve rounded up 10 concerts in Rhode Island that are worth getting on the calendar. And speaking of calendars: Are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!

Here’s what you need to know about upcoming concerts:

Candlelight: Tribute to Queen and The Beatles, March 20, Bishop McVinney Auditorium, Providence
Soulful Sounds in Pawtucket, April 3, Hope Events on Main, Pawtucket
Ravers Night! April 11, Newport Vineyards & Winery, Middletown
Corvettes — Doo Wop Revue, April 19, Courthouse Center for the Arts, Kingstown
“Dancing at the Forty Steps” – Newport Irish Heritage Month flagship event, March 29, the Forty Steps on Cliff Walk, Newport
Newport Classical: Yevgeny Kutik & Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, April 10, Newport Classical Recital Hall, Newport
Newport Classical: Zijian Wei performs Ravel and Liszt, May 8, Newport Classical Recital Hall, Newport
Newport Classical Finale: Amir Hoshang Farsi and Chelsea Wang, June 5, Newport Classical Recital Hall, Newport
An Evening With John Legend, April 26, Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence
Ani DiFranco with Special Guest Valerie June, May 8, Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence

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