Nicholas Alahverdian

Nicholas Alahverdian (reported to have died February 29, 2020 at age 32)[3] was a child welfare advocate and a convicted sex offender who is suspected to have faked his own death.[4][5][6]

Nicholas Alahverdian
Born(1987-07-11)July 11, 1987
DiedFebruary 29, 2020(2020-02-29) (aged 32)[1][2]
OccupationChild welfare activist

Alahverdian alleged that he suffered abuse and negligence in the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF), Rhode Island's social service system.[4][7][8][9] In support of this allegation, in 2011 he sued the DCYF in federal court, then voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit when Rhode Island waived his ~$200,000 medical expenses debt.[10]

In January 2020, Alahverdian claimed that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.[4][11] In February 2020, news outlets reported Alahverdian's death, citing his family's testimony and his obituary.[12][13] The reports of his death have been disputed, as they occurred after a fraud investigation had been instituted against him by the FBI, and a warrant had been issued because he allegedly failed to register as a sex offender.[5]

Biography

Alahverdian alleges his parents were "abusive and alcoholic" and "couldn't take care of him" leading to his placement in the care of the DCYF.[8][14]

Alahverdian has alleged that for a period of 15 months beginning in March 2002[15] the DCYF placed him in their "night-to-night" program, in which a youth would spend his or her day at a DCYF building in Pawtucket and nights at one of several shelters around Rhode Island, including locations in Central Falls, Providence, Narragansett, or Woonsocket.[14] Alahverdian said he did not attend school during this period.[16] According to Alahverdian, the other youths stole his items and threatened and assaulted him during this period.[14] The Providence Journal, in April 2012, described the night-to-night program as a "stifling" experience and said Alahverdian was "denied a substantial chunk of his childhood".[16]

Alahverdian said that he informed lawmakers about his negative experience in DCYF care, but received no assistance.[8][17][15]

In 2002, Alahverdian formed the NexusGovernment organization to lobby for child welfare.[8] However, Alahverdian said that he quit the organization in March 2003.[15] Additionally, The Providence Journal, reporting in 2011, stated that NexusGovernment was only "recently formed".[15]

Local media reported that Alahverdian was sent by DCYF to Boys Town in Nebraska and Manatee Palms Youth Services in Florida in 2003.[8][15] Both the Nebraska and Florida placements were later closed for abuse and neglect.[8][14] In a 2011 lawsuit filed against the Rhode Island DCYF, he testified that he was prohibited from contacting others, such as the media, attorneys, the state child advocate and his caseworker during this period. [15] Alahverdian alleged that he was sent out of state because, in Rhode Island, he was "a source of information on DCYF".[14][16] Rhode Island authorities stated that there were no records of Alahverdian being abused.[18]

According to a DCYF spokesperson they stopped using Manatee Palms Youth Services in 2005 due to "concerns we had with the way they were treating our kids".[14] In 2005, Alahverdian was returned to Rhode Island, where he received treatment at Bradley Hospital for a two week period. Afterwards, he was placed in an independent living program.[15]

Alahverdian told WPRI that he was beaten "Everyday in Florida. Everyday in Nebraska. Everyday in Rhode Island," by other youth in DCYF programs.[17] Alahverdian told WJAR that he suffered "torture, beatings, assault" and neglect under DCYF care, until 2005.[18]

After Alahverdian's death was announced in 2020, a woman who identified herself as his wife, sent a five-page email to The Providence Journal. She stated that Alahverdian had been "beaten and forced to work without pay at gunpoint as a campaign manager in 2016 and was raped by a politician in 2002 and 2003", in addition to the abuse he had experienced in Rhode Island, under the care of DCYF, as well as the out-of-state centers in two other states.[5]

Child welfare advocacy

In March 2011, after meeting Alahverdian, state representative Roberto DaSilva submitted a proposal to further restrict DCYF from using facilities outside of Rhode Island; the proposal was also a cost-cutting measure.[8] DaSilva credited Alahverdian's story as inspiration for his proposed legislation.[19] The proposed legislation failed, so DaSilva re-submitted the proposal in January 2012; the result of this was not reported.[20]

In February 2020, Rhode Island state representatives Ray Hull, John J. Lombardi, David Bennett, and James N. McLaughlin proposed an "Emergency Oversight Commission" to monitor DCYF, as advocated by Alahverdian.[21] According to WPRI's reporting, if the legislation passed, nine state representatives would form a commission to investigate "unconstitutional or unethical procedures at DCYF that put children in harm's way", with a report to be published in May 2021.[22] As of March 2020, Hull's proposed legislation had not been voted upon.[23] Hull later said that Alahverdian had continually pressed him to introduce this legislation before Alahverdian's death, describing the process as being that Alahverdian would "just beat you down".[24]

Lawsuit against the DCYF

In February 2011, Alahverdian initiated a federal lawsuit against the DCYF, the states of Florida and Nebraska, six residential facilities, and 18 individuals, for alleged abuse committed against him.[15] Among the individuals sued were Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri and Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr.[10]

In August 2013, the federal lawsuit was settled by the parties, in exchange for Rhode Island waiving a more than $200,000 lien that was placed on any settlement proceeds from the lawsuit. The lien was for medical expenses incurred while he was in state foster care.[10] The lawsuit concluded with the DCYF expressly denying any "liability or culpability regarding the allegations" according to the DCYF's deputy director Kevin Aucoin.[10] Alahverdian acknowledged that he had released the state of Rhode Island and its government employees from liability.[25] The court itself did not reveal details of the settlement.[25] Alahverdian also agreed to dismiss two other lawsuits he had filed, one which accused DCYF of violating a confidentiality agreement, and another against state sheriffs.[25]

In 2008, Alahverdian, then using the name "Nicholas Rossi", was charged with sexually assaulting a Sinclair Community College student in a stairwell and subsequently convicted of public indecency and sexual imposition. He filed a motion for a retrial based on a newly surfaced MySpace post allegedly written by the victim, which claimed that she had lied about the incident. A computer forensics expert testified "with 90% certainty" that the post had been altered or fabricated entirely. The motion for retrial was dismissed by the reviewing judge.[5]

In October 2015, Alahverdian was married for the second time. Seven months later, his wife moved to divorce him. A court ruled that Alahverdian was "guilty of gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty" towards his wife. Temporary restraining orders had been put in place against Alahverdian, which the court ruled that he violated by seizing "all of the marital household goods and furnishings from the marital residence". The divorce was made official in 2017, with Alahverdian owing his ex-wife $52,000 he borrowed to purportedly support a community service agency. The Providence Journal reported these events in January 2021.[5]

Shortly before his reported illness and death in early 2020, Alahverdian was aware that the FBI was investigating him for fraud, as reported by The Providence Journal in January 2021. His former foster mother, Sharon Lane, alleged that Alahverdian opened 22 credit cards under her husband's name, racking up almost $200,000 in debt.[5]

According to Alahverdian's former lawyer, Jeffrey Pine, a former Rhode Island attorney general, Alahverdian had moved to Ireland by late 2019, which would hinder any attempt by the FBI to have him arrested as such an arrest would require "international cooperation".[5]

However, there were various accounts of Alahverdian's location. Alahverdian told The Providence Journal that he and his family had moved to Quebec, Canada.[24] A Rhode Island priest recounted that Alahverdian's purported widow stating that Alahverdian had moved to Switzerland.[24] State Rep. Raymond Hull of Rhode Island believed that Alahverdian's purported widow said that Alahverdian had moved to Ireland or Germany.[24]

Reported death

In January 2020, Alahverdian reported that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.[11] He provided this information to a number of media organizations.[5] The Providence Journal later stated that Alahverdian "insisted" that they report his illness.[5] Alahverdian's widow later stated that his illness had lasted for "months", and included "heart disease" and "heart attacks".[5] According to his family and his obituary, Alahverdian succumbed to the disease on February 29, 2020.[12][13] His widow said that Alahverdian would be cremated and his remains scattered at sea.[23] She refused to provide copies of Alahverdian's death certificate to The Providence Journal.[5]

Upon Alahverdian's death, WPRI reported that he had emigrated from the United States approximately four years earlier. His wife attributed this to "security concerns".[1] Alahverdian's wife would not publicly reveal her identity or where the family had moved, alleging threats.[23] In July 2020, Rhode Island State Police investigated the authenticity of Alahverdian's death; no conclusion had been reached by January 2021.[5][6] The investigation was triggered by claims that Alahverdian was still alive, coupled with an outstanding warrant against Alahverdian as he was accused of failing to register as a sex offender in Rhode Island in relation to his 2008 conviction.[5]

Alahverdian's former foster mother, Sharon Lane, said that she had been approached by Alahverdian's biological mother in July 2020, who asked her to probe reports of his death. When Lane read the adulatory comments written in his obituary and memorials, she was convinced that the style of writing was Alahverdian's, and thus she "immediately" concluded that he had "faked his death".[5] Alahverdian's former attorney Jeffrey B. Pine also expressed doubts concerning Alahverdian's death as the announcements of his illness and death came shortly after Alahverdian learned of the FBI's investigation against him.[5] Alahverdian's widow denied that he had faked his death, stating that he had died in her presence.[5]

In late 2020, the website Wikipediocracy raised issues about the accuracy of the Wikipedia article regarding Alahvedian. [5] Michael Cockram, a Wikipediocracy blog team member, said that multiple Wikipedia accounts created by Alahvedian had edited the Wikipedia page, and that one of these accounts had tried to remove the image used to illustrate Alahvedian, replacing it with an image of another person.[5] Cockram, who believed that Alahverdian was still alive, alleged that Alahverdian was now trying to take down "his" Wikipedia article, as well as remove any information that disputed his reported death.[5]

On February 1, 2021, the The Providence Journal[24] published a follow up to their investigative report of January 27, 2021,[5] stating that they had received a "rambling", "often incoherent" 9-page email from his alleged widow, named "Louise", who used the email to hurl criticisms and allegations at several parties, such as the victim of his sexual offense, the police officer who took the sex offense case, the judge who oversaw it, and Alahverdian's former foster parents.[24] They also reported that several months after Alahverdian's reported death, Father Bernard Healey, a priest at Our Lady of Mercy Church in East Greenwich, received a request for a funeral mass, from a woman claiming to be Alahverdian's widow. Shortly after arrangements were made, Father Healy was contacted by State Police Detective Conor O’Donnell who requested cancellation of the mass, stating that Alahverdian was alive and had faked his own death and was a fugitive from justice.[24]

References
  1. Buteau, Walt (March 3, 2020). "Child welfare activist, DCYF critic loses battle with cancer". WPRI News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  2. "Obituary: Nicholas Alahverdian". East Providence Reporter. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  3. "Nicholas Alahverdian, R.I. child welfare activist, dies at 32". MSN.com. March 4, 2020. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  4. "Longtime child welfare advocate fighting cancer". WJAR. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  5. Mooney, Tom. "He was reported dead, but the state police kept looking for Nick Alahverdian". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  6. "Authorities question whether child welfare activist died". Associated Press. January 28, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  7. "Accusations of abuse, neglect in DCYF homes". GoLocalProv. March 2, 2011. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  8. Heller, Mathias (February 9, 2012). "Legislation spotlights domestic abuse". The Daily Herald. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  9. Buteau, Walt. "Street Stories: DCYF". WPRI on YouTube. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  10. Buteau, Walt. "Suit against DCYF settled". WPRI.com. CBS News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  11. Klamkin, Steve (January 9, 2020). "DCYF critic, diagnosed with cancer, speaks out on troubled agency". WPRO News. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  12. "Child welfare activist dies of cancer". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  13. "Rhode Island child welfare reform advocate dies of cancer". NBC 10 News. March 3, 2020. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  14. Kerr, Bob (February 27, 2011). "He knows the system inside and out". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  15. Arditi, Lynn (April 8, 2011). "Alahverdian sues DCYF for child abuse". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  16. Kerr, Bob (April 20, 2012). "A hard lesson in what a state can do to a kid". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  17. Buteau, Walt (March 19, 2011). "Victim of abuse works for DCYF overhaul". WPRI. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  18. Jaehnig, Dan (March 1, 2011). "Man claims he was abused in DCYF care". WJAR. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  19. Lord, Peter. "Rep. DaSilva says R.I. pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for out-of-state care for children in state custody". Politifact. Poynter Institute. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  20. "DaSilva reintroduces bill to keep children under DCYF care in state". GoLocalProv. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  21. Cook, Scott. "Lawmakers propose 'Emergency Oversight Commission' for DCYF". ABC 6 News. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  22. Tomison, Bill (February 18, 2020). "Emergency oversight commission for DCYF proposed by lawmakers". WPRI.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  23. Klamkin, Steve. "Child abuse victim Alahverdian loses his cancer fight". WPRO News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  24. Mooney, Tom (February 1, 2021). "If Nick Alahverdian isn't dead as some believe, who's the widow 'Louise'?". Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  25. Arditi, Lynn (August 22, 2013). "Settlement ends suit by former ward alleging abuse while in care of Rhode Island's Department of Children, Youth and Families". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
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