Man Denies Faking death to Avoid Rape Charges in Utah

January 17, 2024 10:46 pm • Last Updated: January 17, 2024 10:48 pm

In a court appearance on Tuesday, Nicholas Rossi, an alleged U.S. fugitive, denied being the man accused of faking his own death and fleeing to Europe to avoid rape charges. The hearing, which was livestreamed in Salt Lake City, saw Rossi deny all allegations against him, claiming that the accusations were “complete hearsay.”

Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is facing charges for the rape of a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, in 2008. The case remained unsolved for over a decade due to DNA test kit backlogs at the Utah State Crime Lab.

Extradited from Scotland earlier this month, Rossi identified himself as Arthur Knight Brown during the court appearance, providing a birthdate format in British English that differs from his alleged true identity. Appearing via video from jail, Rossi, wearing an oxygen mask, did not enter a plea during the initial court appearance.

Tamara Basuez, Deputy Salt Lake County attorney, stated that Rossi has not admitted to his name or birthdate since returning to Utah.

“Objection, my lady, that is complete hearsay,” Rossi told the judge.

Rossi remains in jail without the possibility of bail in relation to the Orem case. A detention hearing has been scheduled for January 26.

The judge has announced that a lawyer will be appointed for Rossi, as his current attorney did not receive notice of Tuesday’s hearing.

Originally from Rhode Island, Rossi gained attention in the state as a vocal critic of the Department of Children, Youth and Families. In 2020, he claimed to have late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma and announced his imminent death. An obituary was published online, stating that he died on February 29, 2020.

Prosecutors revealed that Rossi used at least 10 different aliases over the years.

Authorities apprehended Rossi in December 2021 after he was recognized by someone at a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, while being treated for COVID-19. Rossi, who insisted he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, alleged that his fingerprints were taken while he was in a coma to link him to his alleged true identity. Throughout court proceedings, Rossi appeared in a wheelchair, using an oxygen mask and speaking with a British accent.

After a lengthy court battle, Judge Norman McFadyen of Edinburgh Sheriff Court ruled in August that Rossi’s extradition could proceed, describing him as “dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative.”