Rachel Perkins | August 14, 2025 | News |
A Rhode Island man who fled to Scotland and staged his own death in a brazen attempt to escape justice has been found guilty of raping a former girlfriend in Utah more than 15 years ago.
Nicholas Edward Rossi, 38 — who has also gone by the name Nicholas Alahverdian — was convicted of first-degree felony rape after a three-day trial in Salt Lake County, Utah. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, August 13, and announced by Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. Rossi now faces five years to life in the Utah State Correctional Facility, with sentencing scheduled for October 20.
A Survivor’s Courage
District Attorney Gill praised the victim, identified as M.B., for her bravery in coming forward so many years after the attack.
“It took courage and bravery to take the stand and confront her attacker to hold him accountable,” Gill said.
According to court records, Rossi met M.B. online in late 2008 and began dating her that November. The relationship quickly turned serious — Rossi suggested marriage within weeks — but tensions flared in December during a trip to buy wedding rings. After returning to his Orem apartment, an argument about breaking up escalated violently, with Rossi forcing M.B. onto the bed and raping her.
A Pattern of Violence
Rossi’s crimes came back into focus in 2018 when Utah authorities reviewed old rape kits and identified him as a suspect in another 2008 rape case involving a different woman. That trial is set to begin in September in Utah County, where he has pleaded not guilty.
Authorities say Rossi fled the United States in 2017, traveling to the UK and ultimately settling in Scotland under multiple aliases. His criminal past caught up with him in 2020 when he allegedly faked his own death, complete with an online obituary claiming he had died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma on February 29, 2020.
The Arrest That Unraveled His Lie
In December 2021, Rossi was arrested at a Glasgow hospital while being treated for COVID-19. His distinctive tattoos — detailed in an Interpol notice — gave him away. In court, he insisted he was “Arthur Knight” of Ireland, appearing in a wheelchair, wearing an oxygen mask, and speaking in a fake British accent.
After a lengthy legal battle, Rossi was extradited to the U.S. in January 2024 to face charges in Utah.
A Case That Captured Global Attention
The bizarre twists in Rossi’s case — from an international manhunt to a staged death — have drawn worldwide media attention. Prosecutors hope the conviction will provide closure to his victim and serve as a warning that justice can catch up, no matter how far someone runs.
Rossi’s defense attorney has not commented on the verdict.