Officials: US fugitive faked death, found in UK with COVID

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Rhode Island antheral who is believed to person fled the U.S. and faked his ain decease to evade prosecution for rape and fiscal fraud has been arrested successful Scotland aft being hospitalized with COVID-19, authorities said.

Nicholas Alahverdian, 34, who has been a vocal professional of Rhode Island kid payment aft saying helium was sexually abused successful the state's foster attraction system, present faces extradition to the U.S. to look a rape complaint successful Utah.

Alahverdian was discovered aft processing a superior lawsuit of the coronavirus and being placed connected a ventilator astatine a infirmary successful Glasgow, Rhode Island State Police Maj. Robert Creamer told The Providence Journal this week.

Hospital unit verified his individuality by comparing their diligent to a photograph of Alahverdian submitted by investigators, Leavitt said. He declined to supply details.

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Alahverdian, who had been surviving overseas nether the assumed sanction of Arthur Knight and has gone by different aliases, was arrested Dec. 13 by Scottish authorities, Utah County Attorney David Leavitt said Friday.

Leavitt said his bureau has been providing accusation to authorities overseas regarding Alahverdian’s formation hazard arsenic the tribunal weighs his bail.

A typical for Alahverdian could not beryllium located for comment.

Court documents unsealed successful Utah connected Thursday amusement Alahverdian met a 21-year-old pistillate connected MySpace successful 2008, erstwhile helium was surviving successful Orem, Utah, and going by the sanction Nicholas Rossi.

The pistillate said that she ended the relationship, but that Alahverdian owed her money, promised to wage her backmost and alternatively sexually assaulted her successful his apartment.

Leavitt’s bureau said DNA grounds collected astatine the clip wasn’t tested until 2017 arsenic portion of a authorities effort to wide backlogged rape kits. The grounds came backmost arsenic a lucifer to a intersexual battle lawsuit successful Ohio.

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Alahverdian had been convicted successful 2008 connected 2 sex-related charges aft an brushwood with a chap pupil astatine Sinclair Community College successful Dayton. Rhode Island State Police person said Alahverdian is besides wanted successful their authorities for failing to registry arsenic a enactment offender.

The FBI has said helium is besides wanted successful Ohio connected charges helium took retired recognition cards successful his foster father’s sanction and amassed much than $200,000 successful debts.

Leavitt’s bureau didn’t remark Friday erstwhile asked whether Alahverdian would besides look charges of faking his decease oregon avoiding arrest. Authorities noted helium had been successful interaction with FBI officials successful Ohio by telephone and email arsenic precocious arsenic December 2019, saying helium was surviving successful Ireland due to the fact that of its extradition policies.

It’s not wide whether Alahverdian has a lawyer; an email seeking remark was sent to the “Alahverdian Family Office,” which had sent a announcement successful 2020 astir his ceremonial and memorial work astatine a religion successful Providence, Rhode Island.

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Alahverdian had for years been an outspoken professional of Rhode Island’s Department of Children, Youth and Families, testifying earlier authorities lawmakers astir being sexually abused and tortured portion successful foster care.

In 2020, helium told section media outlets helium had late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had weeks to live, The Journal reported.

An obituary published online claimed helium died Feb. 29, 2020, but by past year, Rhode Island authorities police, Alahverdian’s erstwhile lawyer and erstwhile foster household were publicly doubting whether helium really died.

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