Brian Coogan (politician)

Brian G. Coogan is an American politician[2] and a former Democratic member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives who represented District 83 followed by District 64 (after redistricting) from 2000 until January 2005. In the Rhode Island House, he served on the Committee on Corporations.[3] Coogan also served on the East Providence City Council from 2008 to 2010.

Brian Coogan
Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
from the 83rd, 64th district
In office
2000 – January 2005
Succeeded byHelio Melo
Personal details
Born1970
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseHeather Coogan[1]
ResidenceEast Providence, Rhode Island

Life

Coogan is a native of East Providence.[2] While serving as a State Representative, Coogan was the witness to a bank robbery at an East Providence BankRI. Representative Coogan tailed the bank robber while on the phone with police until the suspect was apprehended.[2]

In 2016, Coogan unsuccessfully sought election once again for District 64 after Helio Melo vacated the seat.[4]

Since leaving state and municipal government, Coogan has transitioned into life in the private sector.[5]

As a real estate investor, Coogan purchased the former Bovi's Tavern property, a former jazz club in East Providence.[5] The area surrounding the former Bovi's, known as Six Corners, is currently under development with Coogan securing commercial, retail, and residential tenants.[5] He rebranded Horton's Seafood, a family-run business[6] into a restaurant serving Mexican fare called The Burrito Bowl.

Accquaintaince with Nicholas Alahverdian

Circa 2001 while serving in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Coogan became acquainted with a fourteen-year-old working as a legislative page, Nicholas Alahverdian. Alahverdian was an outspoken detractor of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families around Coogan and coworkers, claiming to have experienced a sexually and physically abusive experience within the system after being removed from abusive parents. Empathetic to Alahverdian's claims, Coogan discussed plans with his wife to adopt the teenager, but the Coogans recanted once Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah warned Coogan that Alahverdian was mostly likely manipulating him; Alaverdian was removed from his mother's custody due to physically abusing her, his grandmother, and his siblings. Coogan quoted Jeremiah as saying "There is something really wrong with that kid. He will try to undermine you and turn your family upside-down."[1] Coogan allegded that Alahverdian became hostile towards him following his reconsideration, in January 2022 telling The Providence Journal that “[Alahverdian] knew how to manipulate people. The kid swindled a lot of people. He got certain [state] reps to give him money and sometimes he threatened them. He knew how to play the ‘You touched me' card. He’d say, ‘I’ll tell people you raped me, you assaulted me’”, a claim supported by his former coworker Joanne Giannini.[1]

In 2020, Alahverian would fake his death from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and flee to Scotland to avoid federal investigation into numerous charges including sexual assault and fraud. Alahverdian would be found and arrested in Glasgow December 2021, while receiving COVID-19 treatment under the alias Arthur Knight.[7] Following announcement of Alahverdian's survival, Coogan would be questioned on his experiences with Alahverdian. In mid-February 2022, Coogan agreed with Sky News to set up a video call with "Knight" and a reporter; in the interview, Coogan confirmed the man (who claimed to not be Alahverdian nor know Coogan) as being Alahverdian. The reporter was able to confirm Coogan's statement that Alahverdian had a scar beside his right eye, but when Coogan further stated that Alahverdian had tattoos on his biceps of a barcode and a bird wing, "Knight" did not show his biceps and the video call was ended abruptly.[8]

References
  1. Mooney, Tom (January 13, 2022). "'A dangerous mind': News of Nick Alahverdian's fake death shocks those who took him in". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  2. Staff Writer (23 June 2016). "Brian Coogan Announces Candidacy For House District 64". Reporter Today. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  3. "Representative Brian Coogan". Rhode Island House of Representatives. State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 23 April 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  4. "Brian Coogan's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  5. Rodericks, Bob (9 August 2018). "The day the music died - Bovi's Tavern is no more". Reporter Today. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  6. Janusonis, Michael (4 August 2011). "Dining Out - Fresh-from-the-sea bounty at Horton's". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  7. Mooney, Tom (January 12, 2022). "Nick Alahverdian, suspected of faking his death, found in Scotland, say police". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  8. Mooney, Tom (February 11, 2022). "Was Nick Alahverdian calling home to RI? Sure was, says the man who almost adopted him". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.


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