RI Man Accused Of Faking Death To Evade Rape Charge Convicted Of Rape: Reports

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — A Rhode Island man accused of faking his own death to dodge a rape charge was found guilty of rape in Utah, multiple media outlets have reported.

Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, used at least a dozen aliases "over the years to evade capture," NBC News reported.

"Rossi, 38, was arrested in Scotland in 2021 — a year after he was reported dead — when he was recognized at a Glasgow hospital while receiving treatment for COVID-19," the network said. "He lost an extradition appeal after claiming he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who had never set foot on American soil and was being framed."

Rossi was found guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend in his first of two Utah trials, according to the New York Post.

"An obituary published online claimed Rossi had died on Feb. 29, 2020, of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma," the Post reported. "But police in his home state of Rhode Island, along with his former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead."

Rossi and the woman he raped met online and were engaged after two weeks, the BBC reported.

"She said Rossi's behaviour soon changed, that he became controlling, borrowed money from her, would not let her drive her own car and criticised her clothing," the BBC said.

The guilty verdict is not the final chapter in Rossi's legal woes, according to KSL TV.

"This is not Rossi’s only legal problem," the network said. "He also faces a charge of rape in Utah County. A trial there is set to begin next month."

Rossi "appeared in court this week in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie and using an oxygen tank," according to What's Up Newport.

"Throughout the trial, prosecutors painted a picture of an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman," WUN reported. "She was living with her parents and recovering from a traumatic brain injury when she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist. They began dating and were engaged within about two weeks."

See also:

• Rhode Island Man Charged With Threatening To Kill Trump Indicted
• Lincoln Liar — Lincoln Man Lied About Crime: Cops
• 19-Year-Old Charged With Gunning Down 16-Year-Old In Cranston Parking Lot