Accident – Death – Obituary News :

U.S. Fugitive Nicholas Rossi Extradited from Scotland and Jailed in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A U.S. fugitive, known by various aliases including Nicholas Rossi and Nicholas Alahverdian, has been extradited from Scotland and is currently being held in a Utah jail. The extradition came after Rossi allegedly faked his own death and fled the country to avoid rape charges. Jail records confirm his arrival in Utah last week.

The charges against Rossi date back to 2008 when he is accused of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah. However, it wasn’t until a decade later that he was identified as a suspect due to a backlog of DNA test kits at the Utah State Crime Lab.

In addition to the rape charges in Utah, Rossi also faces a felony rape charge in Salt Lake County. Prosecutors allege that he sexually assaulted a 26-year-old former girlfriend after an argument. Furthermore, Rossi has multiple other complaints against him in Rhode Island and Ohio, including allegations of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and fraud.

Having gone by at least 10 different aliases in his attempt to evade the law, the 36-year-old fugitive was booked into the Davis County Jail on Friday. This jail facility in northern Utah often accommodates federal detainees. However, it is expected that Rossi will be transferred to Utah County in the near future to stand trial for the felony rape charges, as confirmed by the Utah County Attorney’s Office.

As of Monday, Rossi’s initial court date has yet to be determined. Additionally, it remains unknown who will represent him in court.

Originally hailing from Rhode Island, Rossi grew up in foster homes. After allegedly faking his own death, he returned to the state before ultimately fleeing the country. In an obituary published online, it was claimed that Rossi died on February 29, 2020, from late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, both state police and his former foster family expressed doubts regarding the veracity of his death.

Rossi’s arrest in Scotland took place the following year, when he was recognized at a Glasgow hospital while receiving treatment for COVID-19. At the time, he insisted that he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight and denied ever having traveled to the U.S.

After a lengthy court battle, an Edinburgh judge ruled in August that the extradition process could proceed. The judge characterized Rossi as “dishonest and deceitful,” emphasizing his evasiveness and manipulative nature. Rossi’s subsequent appeal was unsuccessful, leading to his custody being taken over by the U.S. Marshals Service in December.

.