SALT LAKE CITY – A high-profile trial began Monday in Utah for a man accused of faking his own death and fleeing overseas to avoid prosecution on rape charges.
Nicholas Rossi, 38, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. He has pleaded not guilty, and prosecutors are trying the cases separately, beginning with a Salt Lake County case this week.
Rossi was arrested in Scotland in 2021 — a year after an obituary claimed he had died from late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma on February 29, 2020. Authorities say he fled the United States after the allegations surfaced, adopting multiple aliases and disguises. He lost a lengthy extradition battle after being recognized by staff at a Glasgow hospital while receiving treatment for COVID-19. Rossi claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who had never set foot in America, insisting he was the victim of mistaken identity.
Alleged Victim Testifies
The trial’s opening day saw emotional testimony from one of Rossi’s alleged victims, who told jurors she met him through a Craigslist personal ad in November 2008 while recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The woman, who was not identified publicly, described an intense but short-lived relationship that quickly turned controlling.
She testified that within two weeks of meeting, the pair were engaged. During that time, Rossi allegedly asked her to pay for meals, cover his rent to prevent eviction, and take on debt to buy their engagement rings.
“I was a little bit more of a timid person back then, and so it was harder for me to stand up for myself,” she told the court.
According to her testimony, the relationship soured after the engagement, with Rossi allegedly becoming verbally abusive. She described one incident where Rossi pounded on her car and blocked her from leaving a parking garage. Though she eventually drove him home, she said she intended to end the relationship.
She testified that when she entered his apartment to talk, Rossi pushed her onto the bed, held her down, and forced her to have sex with him. “I just lay still, paralyzed with fear,” she said.
The woman said she did not go to police at the time, citing dismissive comments from her parents. She did attempt to sue Rossi in small claims court over the rings but dropped the case.
Prosecution’s Case
Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Brandon Simmons described Rossi as a manipulative man who preyed on a vulnerable woman, using his intelligence and charm to gain control before committing the assault.
Prosecutors say they have linked Rossi to at least a dozen aliases used over the years to evade capture. Judge Barry Lawrence took time to explain the multiple names to the jury, noting that witnesses and lawyers might refer to the defendant differently during the proceedings.
The prosecution argued that Rossi’s actions after the alleged crime — including adopting false identities, faking his death, and fleeing the country — were part of a calculated plan to avoid accountability.
Defense Strategy
Rossi’s defense team, led by attorney MacKenzie Potter, suggested that the alleged victim fabricated the rape claim years later out of lingering resentment over financial disputes during their brief relationship. Potter compared the case to “an old puzzle from the thrift store — it’s 13 years old, not all the pieces are there, and some pieces are from a different puzzle.”
The defense maintains that any missing evidence is due to the passage of time, not deliberate evasion, while prosecutors counter that it is Rossi’s own actions that led to gaps in the record.
Complex Legal History
Rossi’s legal saga spans multiple jurisdictions and years of court battles. Born in Rhode Island and raised in foster care, he returned to the state before allegedly faking his death. In 2021, Scottish police arrested him after Interpol notices matched his tattoos. His extradition to the United States was finalized in January 2024.
He is scheduled to face a separate rape trial in Utah County in September.
The current trial is expected to last several weeks, with testimony from additional witnesses and presentation of evidence tracing Rossi’s movements from Utah to the United Kingdom.
If convicted, Rossi faces significant prison time. Prosecutors have indicated they may also pursue charges related to his alleged flight from justice.
As proceedings continue, the case has drawn public attention both for the serious allegations and the extraordinary lengths Rossi is accused of going to in order to evade the law — from assuming false identities to staging his own death.
