In a shocking turn of events, a US man named Nicholas Rossi, who faked his own death and traveled to Scotland in a bid to escape his past, has been convicted of rape. His extradition back to the US paved the way for justice to finally catch up with him.
The jury in Salt Lake City came to a guilty verdict concerning a sexual assault involving Rossi and his then-girlfriend back in 2008.
Rossi’s capture began in 2021 when he was hospitalized in Glasgow due to Covid-19. It was in the hospital where medical personnel and law enforcement connected the dots. They compared his tattoos with images on an Interpol wanted poster, ultimately leading to his identification.
The situation took a bizarre twist as it was revealed that Rossi, under the false identity of Nicholas Alahverdian, had previously created a hoax obituary claiming he died from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
After a series of legal maneuvers, Rossi was extradited to the US in January 2024.
While trying to appeal his case, he argued that he was a victim of mistaken identity and insisted he was actually an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight. He even went as far as to claim that his tattoos were given to him while he was in a coma and that someone tampered with his fingerprints!
However, the judge was not convinced by his account. Descriptions from the court indicated that Rossi was “as dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative,” leading to the decision to authorize his extradition.
Prosecutor Sim Gill commended the courage of Rossi’s victim, noting that her bravery to bring her case to trial was vital in securing this conviction. “It’s her courage and resilience that was the key to this case,” Gill emphasized.
Now, with a sentence looming, Rossi could face anywhere from five years to life in prison. The upcoming trial next month relates to another alleged assault also from 2008, so this story might not be over just yet.
