For years, rumors swirled about a man who seemed to evade justice at every turn—changing identities, fleeing the country, and even faking his own death.
That man, Nicholas Rossi, long believed to be hiding under aliases in Europe, has now been exposed in court. His conviction for a brutal 2008 sexual assault in Utah raises chilling questions: how did he manage to remain free for over a decade, and who may have aided him in orchestrating one of the strangest criminal deceptions in recent memory?
A Rhode Island man who faked his death and fled overseas to escape prosecution has finally been convicted of a sexual assault committed more than 15 years ago.
Nicholas Edward Rossi, also known legally as Nicholas Alahverdian, was found guilty on Wednesday, August 13, of raping a former girlfriend in Orem, Utah, in 2008. The verdict followed a three-day trial, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. Rossi, 38, now faces a potential prison sentence of five years to life when he returns to court on October 20 at the Utah State Correctional Facility.
“We are grateful to the survivor in this case for her courage in coming forward, years after this attack occurred,” District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement. “It took immense bravery to testify and confront her attacker to ensure accountability.”
Rossi is also scheduled for another rape trial in Utah County this September, to which he has pleaded not guilty, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities say Rossi and the victim, identified only as M.B., met online in 2008 and dated briefly between November and December. At just 21, M.B. was pressured by Rossi to marry him and buy rings after only a few weeks of dating. Tensions escalated in December when, during a jewelry store visit, Rossi allegedly insulted her, sparking an argument.
Later that day at his apartment, the dispute continued over whether to break up and cancel the wedding plans. Prosecutors say Rossi threw M.B. onto the bed and raped her.
In 2017, Rossi fled the U.S., moving between Britain and Ireland before eventually settling in Scotland, using multiple aliases. The case resurfaced in 2018 when Utah authorities, reviewing old rape kits, identified him as a suspect in another 2008 sexual assault.
The second case involved another ex-girlfriend, who alleged that Rossi raped her at his Orem apartment in September 2008 when she came to collect money she claimed he had stolen, according to CBS News.
By 2020, while facing charges, Rossi staged an elaborate ruse claiming he had died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A false online obituary announced his death on February 29, 2020. However, authorities tracked him down the following year at a Glasgow hospital, where he was receiving COVID-19 treatment. A nurse recognized him by distinctive tattoos shared in an Interpol notice.
When brought to court in Scotland, Rossi denied being Rossi, claiming he was an Irishman named Arthur Knight. He appeared in a wheelchair, wearing an oxygen mask, spoke in a fake British accent, and insisted he was being framed.
After lengthy extradition proceedings, Rossi returned to the United States in January 2024. With his recent conviction in Utah, his years of evasion seem to have finally come to an end.
Conclusion
Nicholas Rossi’s conviction signals the collapse of a long web of lies, fake identities, and deliberate deception. From faking his death to posing as a sick Irishman, he did everything possible to avoid accountability—but the truth ultimately prevailed. His sentencing in October will determine his prison term, but for the survivors who spoke out, the guilty verdict already represents a significant measure of justice. The upcoming second trial may reveal even more about the extent of his crimes and the lengths he went to evade the law.