'Dateline NBC' to cover story of RI fugitive Nicholas Alahverdian. Here's the story.

While former Rhode Islander Nicholas Alahverdian — also known as Nicholas Rossi — continues to fight efforts to return him to the United States to face fraud and sex abuse charges, the story of the fugitive conman who faked his death will be broadcast across the country Friday night in a special called "Dead Man Talking."

"Dateline NBC" plans a two-hour show, starting at 9 p.m. on April 21 on the sensational tale that it bills as a “present-day mystery that has captivated the world’s attention.”

How much mystery was ever really anchored in Alahverdian’s scheme — or how much remains now — is debatable, particularly to readers of The Providence Journal, which has covered the case extensively, as noted in the broadcast. Journal reporter Tom Mooney, who worked to break the story about Alahverdian faking his own death, will be featured in the special.

Who is Nicholas Alahverdian?

Nick Alahverdian was born in Rhode Island and, after a turbulent childhood and spending time in the care of the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), became an advocate and critic of the state's child welfare system and was active in Rhode Island politics. After leaving Rhode Island, he was accused of several sexual assaults and allegedly fled the country after faking his own death to avoid being found by the FBI, settling in Scotland where he was later arrested.

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Did Nicholas Alahverdian fake his own death?

At the start of 2020, Alahverdian began calling reporters back in Rhode Island and seeding the lie that he had non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and only weeks to live. Many local media outlets reported his supposed death in February 2020. But Alahverdian’s likely self-written obituary, overflowing with grandiose achievements, was a clear red flag for anyone who knew Alahverdian’s sense of self-importance. He was later found in the United Kingdom going by the name Arthur Knight and, after a lengthy legal battle, it was determined by Scottish courts that they were on in the same.

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Where is Nicholas Alahverdian now?

Nicholas Alahverdian is currently in an Edinburgh prison while fighting extradition back to Utah to face rape charges.

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More on Alahverdian's story

To Alahverdian, a 35-year-old narcissist, convicted sex offender and once familiar child-welfare activist at the Rhode Island State House, his efforts to elude authorities probably seemed brilliant.

Alahverdian, who earlier in his life used his stepfather's surname Rossi, fled Rhode Island to the United Kingdom in 2017 and took up the identity of a suit-clad academic Brit living in Scotland. Then at the start of 2020, he began calling reporters back in Rhode Island and seeding the lie that he had non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and only weeks to live; they needed to write about him, he insisted.

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By then, Alahverdian knew the FBI was on his tail for allegedly defrauding his foster parents of almost $200,000 in credit card purchases. And he might also have known that Utah authorities had identified him as a suspect in a rape from 2008 when he was living there. (He has since been charged in Utah with a second rape and a separate sexual battery.)

Many local media outlets reported his supposed death in February 2020. But Alahverdian’s likely self-written obituary, overflowing with grandiose achievements, was a clear red flag for anyone who knew Alahverdian’s sense of self-importance.

More on Alahverdian: Rhode Island man who faked his death could return to U.S. after bizarre trial in Scotland

Viewers of the broadcast will hear from early skeptics of Alahverdian’s passing like Brian Coogan, a former state representative who once considered adopting Alahverdian, and Conor O’Donnell, a state police detective who searched for Alahverdian months after he had supposedly died.

Alahverdian remains in a Scottish prison awaiting his next extradition hearing in June and insisting he is “Arthur Knight,” a Glasgow resident unfairly swept up in an international dragnet for the real fugitive.

A judge has ruled otherwise, based on fingerprints, former mug shots and Alahverdian’s identifying tattoos.

On Thursday, the same judge was forced to postpone another preliminary hearing in the case after Alahverdian got into an “altercation” with a court security officer who was to bring him up into the courtroom, local press reported. Following the disturbance, security staff refused to take him into the court room. In what has become a common practice, the hearing was continued, until May 9.

Alahverdian is expected to face charges for his role in the disturbance.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Nicholas Alahverdian on Dateline's 'Dead Man Talking': The full story