Trial commences for American evading justice, charged for concocting a fabricated death to dodge rape allegations
Nicholas Rossi, also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, found himself in the dock of a Utah courtroom in August 2025, following a year-long extradition from Scotland. The man, who had been on the run since faking his death in 2020, was convicted of first-degree rape after a jury trial.
Rossi, who grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island, had returned to the state before allegedly faking his death to avoid facing rape charges in Utah. His whereabouts remained a mystery until he was arrested in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021, while receiving treatment for COVID-19. Hospital staff recognised his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities, leading to his extradition to Utah in January 2024.
During the trial, Rossi appeared in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie, and using an oxygen tank. The alleged victim, who had initially been timid and did not go to the police at the time due to dismissive comments from her parents, identified Rossi from the witness stand as her alleged abuser.
MacKenzie Potter, one of Rossi's attorneys, described the case as "13 years old, not all the pieces are there, some pieces are from a different puzzle. And when you start going through everything, you're not going to get a complete picture." Prosecutors, however, pushed back, saying that if any "puzzle pieces" are missing, it's because Rossi's attorneys fought to have some evidence dismissed.
The prosecution portrayed Rossi as an intelligent man who took advantage of a vulnerable woman. Rossi's lawyers, on the other hand, argued that the alleged victim built up years of resentment after Rossi made her foot the bill for everything in their month-long relationship, and accused him of rape to get back at him a decade later when she saw him in the news.
This elaborate identity deception and flight led to a prolonged legal process spanning several years until his conviction. Rossi used at least a dozen aliases over the years to evade capture, including claiming to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, asserting he had never been to the U.S. and was being framed.
Nicholas Rossi is now facing rape charges in Utah for alleged incidents in 2008. He is scheduled to stand trial in September over another rape charge in Utah County. The alleged victim had tried to bring Rossi to small claims court over the engagement rings but dropped the case.
[1] Utah Standard News
[2] BBC News
[3] Rhode Island Public Radio
[4] Salt Lake Tribune
- The trial of Nicholas Rossi, a man convicted of first-degree rape in Utah, has become a general-news topic, with multiple media outlets covering the story, including Utah Standard News, BBC News, Rhode Island Public Radio, and Salt Lake Tribune.
- Amidst the complex web of politics, crime, and justice, the continued legal battles faced by Nicholas Rossi, a man who previously faked his death to evade rape charges, highlight the challenges in holding perpetrators accountable for their debts to society.
