Trial Initiated: Man Faces Allegations of Simulating Death to Evade Rape Allegations Trial
In Salt Lake City, the trial of Nicholas Alahverdian, also known as Nicholas Rossi, is capturing public attention. The man, who once evaded justice by faking his own death, is now facing charges related to a 2008 rape.
Alahverdian, who grew up in foster care in Rhode Island, faked his death to evade identification as a suspect in the rape case. Prosecutors claim he met the victim online, quickly became engaged, but the relationship turned abusive. After a violent public argument, he allegedly raped her after refusing to let her leave his apartment.
During the trial, Alahverdian refused to testify in his own defense, and a police interview where he spoke in a fake British accent and lied about his identity was played to the jury. The defense tried to cast doubt on the victim’s credibility by highlighting a prior brain injury she suffered and her financial independence in the relationship.
However, the woman only reconnected with authorities after seeing news about Alahverdian in Utah in 2022 and contacted law enforcement. The trial marked the first of at least two rape trials Alahverdian faces in Utah for alleged incidents from 2008.
MacKenzie Potter, one of Alahverdian's attorneys, compares the case to an incomplete puzzle. The defense and prosecution agreed it's factual that Alahverdian was in Utah in 2008 and had a relationship with the woman who testified. Yet, the defense argues that the alleged victim built up years of resentment due to financial issues in their relationship.
The woman testified that Alahverdian forced her to have sex after a fight in his house. Hospital staff in Scotland recognized his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities, leading to his extradition to Utah in January 2024.
Alahverdian appeared in court in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie, and using an oxygen tank. An obituary published online claimed he died on Feb. 29, 2020, of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but state police, his former lawyer, and a former foster family cast doubt on his death.
Rossi, as he is also known, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. The trial is a testament to the lengths one man went to evade justice, and the determination of authorities to bring him back to face charges. Sentencing is scheduled for October 20, 2025.
Meanwhile, Rossi is also set to stand trial in September for another rape charge in Utah County. The case continues to unfold, shedding light on a man who once seemed to have escaped justice, but whose past has finally caught up with him.
[1] Salt Lake Tribune, "Nicholas Alahverdian (Rossi) found guilty of first-degree rape in Salt Lake City trial," August 13, 2025. [2] KSL.com, "Nicholas Alahverdian (Rossi) found guilty of first-degree rape in Salt Lake City trial," August 13, 2025. [3] Deseret News, "Nicholas Alahverdian (Rossi) found guilty of first-degree rape in Salt Lake City trial," August 13, 2025.
- The guilty verdict in the Salt Lake City trial of Nicholas Alahverdian, also known as Nicholas Rossi, highlights the intersection of general-news, crime-and-justice, and politics, as the man faced charges for a 2008 rape while evading justice by faking his death.
- The ongoing trial and sentencing of Alahverdian in Utah, who is also set to stand trial for another rape charge in September, is a significant health concern given his recent court appearances in a wheelchair and using an oxygen tank, raising questions about his alleged deceit of his death in 2020.
