Latest news with #ArthurKnight
CBS News
11 hours ago
- CBS News
Man accused of faking his death and fleeing U.S. to avoid rape charges faces alleged victim in Utah court
A man accused of faking his death and fleeing to the United Kingdom to avoid rape charges faced an alleged victim in court Monday as a jury trial in Utah began. The man known in the U.S. as Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutors are trying the cases separately, with the first set in Salt Lake County. 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. 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. Prosecutors say they have identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Rossi appeared in court in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie and using an oxygen tank. The alleged victim identified him from the witness stand, saying he's "a little bit heavier, a little bit older" but mostly looks the same. District Judge Barry Lawrence helped clarify for the jury some of the twists and turns of the case, explaining that different people may refer to Rossi by different names. The defense and prosecution agreed it's factual that Rossi was in Utah in 2008 and had a relationship that year with the woman who testified. Prosecutors painted a picture of an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman. He raped her when she pushed back against his attempts to control her, said Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Brandon Simmons. The woman, who the judge asked not be identified publicly, described a whirlwind relationship with Rossi that began in November 2008 while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The two began dating after she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist and were engaged within about two weeks. The woman described being asked to pay for their dates, cover Rossi's rent so he wouldn't be evicted from his apartment 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 said. The relationship spiraled quickly after their engagement, with Rossi "becoming controlling and saying mean things to me," she testified. The couple got into a fight in which Rossi allegedly pounded on her car and used his body to block her from pulling out of the parking garage. She finally let him inside and drove him home but said she had no plans of continuing a relationship. She agreed to go into his house to talk, but he instead pushed her onto his bed, held her down and "forced me to have sex with him," she testified. The woman described lying still, paralyzed with fear. Dismissive comments from her parents convinced her not to go to the police at the time, she said. She did, however, try to bring Rossi to small claims court over the engagement rings but dropped the case. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury that the alleged victim built up years of resentment after Rossi made her foot the bill for everything in their monthlong relationship, and accused him of rape to get back at him a decade later when she saw him in the news. Rossi will also stand trial in September for another rape charge in Utah County. Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned to the state before allegedly faking his death. An obituary published online claimed he died on Feb. 29, 2020, of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. State police, along with Rossi's former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. A year later, hospital staff in Scotland recognized his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities. He was extradited to Utah in January 2024. Former Utah County Prosecutor David Leavitt had officially filed rape charges in August 2020, several months after the obituary was posted on Rossi's personal website, CBS affiliate KUTV reported. Leavitt's media coordinator during his time as the county attorney released a statement at the time of Rossi's extradition, saying it marked "a pivotal moment in the pursuit of justice." "At the core, this process demands transparency, a fair trial based on facts, and the judgment of a jury," the statement said. "The victims deserve nothing less, and the world will be closely observing this crucial journey towards justice." MacKenzie Potter, one of Rossi's attorneys, described the case as being "like old puzzle from the thrift store." "It's 13 years old, not all the pieces are there, some pieces are from a different puzzle. And when you start going through everything, you're not going to get a complete picture." Prosecutors pushed back, saying that if any "puzzle pieces" are missing, it's because Rossi's attorneys fought to have some evidence dismissed.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man accused of faking death and fleeing US to avoid rape charges goes on trial
A man accused of faking his death and fleeing the US to avoid rape charges has faced an alleged victim in court as a jury trial in Utah began. The man known in the US as Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. Prosecutors are trying the cases separately, with the first set in Salt Lake County. Rossi, 38, was extradited from Scotland to the US in January 2024 after a lengthy case in the Scottish courts. He came to the attention of authorities when he was identified at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow in December 2021 while being treated for Covid-19 under the name Arthur Knight. He was arrested after being identified by his distinctive tattoos as a person the US authorities wanted to extradite, but claimed this was a case of mistaken identity. Months of court proceedings in Edinburgh followed but in November 2022, Sheriff Norman McFadyen determined the man claiming to be Knight was indeed Rossi. An extradition hearing took place in June 2023, with Sheriff McFadyen ruling there was no barrier to Rossi's extradition. In his Scottish hearings, Rossi would appear in a wheelchair and sometimes with an oxygen mask. An extradition warrant was signed in September 2023 and Rossi was finally sent to the US in January 2024. Prosecutors in the US say they have identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Rossi appeared in court on Monday in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie and using an oxygen tank. The alleged victim identified him from the witness box, saying he is 'a little bit heavier, a little bit older' but mostly looks the same. District Judge Barry Lawrence helped clarify for the jury some of the twists and turns of the case, explaining that different people may refer to Rossi by different names. The defence and prosecution agreed it is factual that Rossi was in Utah in 2008 and had a relationship with the alleged victim that year. Prosecutors painted a picture of an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman. He raped her when she pushed back against his attempts to control her, deputy Salt Lake County district attorney Brandon Simmons alleged. The woman, who the judge asked not be identified publicly, described a whirlwind relationship with Rossi that began in November 2008 while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The two began dating after she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist and were engaged within about two weeks. The woman described being asked to pay for their dates, cover Rossi's rent so he would not be evicted from his apartment and take on debt to buy their engagement rings. Then, the relationship spiralled quickly, with Rossi 'becoming controlling and saying mean things to me', she alleged. The couple got into a fight in which Rossi pounded on her car and used his body to block her from pulling out of the parking garage, she alleged. She finally let him inside and drove him home but said she had no plans of continuing a relationship. She agreed to go into his house to talk, but he instead pushed her on to his bed, held her down and 'forced me to have sex with him', she alleged. The woman described lying still, paralysed with fear. '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 said. Dismissive comments from her parents convinced her not to go to the police at the time, she said. She did, however, try to bring Rossi to small claims court over the engagement rings but dropped the case. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury that the alleged victim built up years of resentment after Rossi made her foot the bill for everything in their month-long relationship, and accused him of rape to get back at him a decade later when she saw him in the news. Rossi will also stand trial in September over another rape charge in Utah County. Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned to the state before allegedly faking his death. An obituary published online claimed he died on February 29 2020 of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. State police, along with Rossi's former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. A year later, hospital staff in Scotland recognised his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities. He was extradited to Utah in January 2024. 'This case is like an old puzzle from the thrift store,' said MacKenzie Potter, one of Rossi's lawyers. 'It's 13 years old, not all the pieces are there, some pieces are from a different puzzle. And when you start going through everything, you're not going to get a complete picture.' Prosecutors pushed back, saying that if any 'puzzle pieces' are missing, it is because Rossi's lawyers fought to have some evidence dismissed.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nicholas Rossi: Man who faked his death and fled to Scotland appears in court for US rape trial
Nicholas Rossi, an American man who faked his death and fled to Scotland to escape a rape charge, has gone on trial. Rossi posed as "Arthur Knight" while he fought efforts to extradite him back to the US. Now, a Utah court has heard from a woman who says he held her down and "forced me to have sex with him". Read more: Rossi, 38, is being tried on the first of two separate cases in which he's accused of raping a woman in Utah in 2008. He denies the charges against him. A court in Salt Lake County heard from a woman who said she began a relationship with Rossi while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury in 2008. The woman, who can't be named for legal reasons, said they began dating after she responded to a personal ad Rossi had placed on Craigslist, and they quickly became engaged. She said her money paid for their dates and to cover Rossi's rent. The relationship soured when Rossi started "becoming controlling and saying mean things to me", she told the court. On the day she claims she was raped, she said there was an incident in which Rossi pounded on her car and used his body to block her from pulling out of a she eventually let him in the car, she agreed to enter his house to talk but once inside, he pushed her onto his bed, held her down and "forced me to have sex with him", she testified. Read more from Sky News: The woman told how she lay still, paralysed by fear. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury the alleged victim's motivation in accusing him of rape was resentment over their relationship more than a decade previously. Rossi faked his death in 2020 and fled to the UK in an effort to escape criminal charges. He married Miranda Knight in Bristol and the pair moved to Glasgow. US investigators were able to follow his digital footprint to his Glasgow address and police arrested him in hospital, where he was being treated for COVID. Medical staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital recognised him from his tattoos, images of which had been circulated on an Interpol red notice.
Sky News
20 hours ago
- Sky News
Nicholas Rossi: Man who faked his death and fled to Scotland appears in court for US rape trial
Nicholas Rossi, an American man who faked his death and fled to Scotland to escape a rape charge, has gone on trial. Rossi posed as "Arthur Knight" while he fought efforts to extradite him back to the US. Now, a Utah court has heard from a woman who says he held her down and "forced me to have sex with him". Rossi, 38, is being tried on the first of two separate cases in which he's accused of raping a woman in Utah in 2008. He denies the charges against him. A court in Salt Lake County heard from a woman who said she began a relationship with Rossi while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury in 2008. The woman, who can't be named for legal reasons, said they began dating after she responded to a personal ad Rossi had placed on Craigslist, and they quickly became engaged. She said her money paid for their dates and to cover Rossi's rent. 24:25 The relationship soured when Rossi started "becoming controlling and saying mean things to me", she told the court. On the day she claims she was raped, she said there was an incident in which Rossi pounded on her car and used his body to block her from pulling out of a garage. After she eventually let him in the car, she agreed to enter his house to talk but once inside, he pushed her onto his bed, held her down and "forced me to have sex with him", she testified. The woman told how she lay still, paralysed by fear. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury the alleged victim's motivation in accusing him of rape was resentment over their relationship more than a decade previously. Rossi faked his death in 2020 and fled to the UK in an effort to escape criminal charges. He married Miranda Knight in Bristol and the pair moved to Glasgow. US investigators were able to follow his digital footprint to his Glasgow address and police arrested him in hospital, where he was being treated for COVID. Medical staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital recognised him from his tattoos, images of which had been circulated on an Interpol red notice.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Trial begins for U.S. fugitive accused of faking his death to avoid rape charges
SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of faking his death and fleeing the country to avoid rape charges faced an alleged victim in court Monday as a jury trial in Utah began. The man known in the U.S. as Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. Prosecutors are trying the cases separately, with the first set in Salt Lake County. 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. 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. Prosecutors say they have identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Rossi appeared in court in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie and using an oxygen tank. The woman identified him from the witness stand, saying he's 'a little bit heavier, a little bit older' but mostly looks the same. District Judge Barry Lawrence helped clarify for the jury some of the twists and turns of the case, explaining that different people may refer to Rossi by different names. The defense and prosecution agreed it's factual that Rossi was in Utah in 2008 and had a relationship with the alleged victim that year. Prosecutors painted a picture of an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman. He raped her when she pushed back against his attempts to control her, said Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Brandon Simmons. The woman, who the judge asked not be identified publicly, described a whirlwind relationship with Rossi that began in November 2008 while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The two began dating after she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist and were engaged within about two weeks. The woman described being asked to pay for their dates, cover Rossi's rent so he wouldn't be evicted from his apartment and take on debt to buy their engagement rings. Then, the relationship spiraled quickly, with Rossi 'becoming controlling and saying mean things to me,' she testified. The couple got into a fight in which Rossi pounded on her car and used his body to block her from pulling out of the parking garage. She finally let him inside and drove him home but said she had no plans of continuing a relationship. She agreed to go into his house to talk, but he instead pushed her onto his bed, held her down and 'forced me to have sex with him,' she testified. The woman described lying still, paralyzed with fear. '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 said. Dismissive comments from her parents convinced her not to go to the police at the time, she said. She did, however, try to bring Rossi to small claims court over the engagement rings but dropped the case. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury that the alleged victim built up years of resentment after Rossi made her foot the bill for everything in their monthlong relationship, and accused him of rape to get back at him a decade later when she saw him in the news. Rossi will also stand trial in September over another rape charge in Utah County. Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned to the state before allegedly faking his death. An obituary published online claimed he died on Feb. 29, 2020, of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. State police, along with Rossi's former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. A year later, hospital staff in Scotland recognized his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities. He was extradited to Utah in January 2024. 'This case is like an old puzzle from the thrift store,' said MacKenzie Potter, one of Rossi's attorneys. 'It's 13 years old, not all the pieces are there, some pieces are from a different puzzle. And when you start going through everything, you're not going to get a complete picture.' Prosecutors pushed back, saying that if any 'puzzle pieces' are missing, it's because Rossi's attorneys fought to have some evidence dismissed. Hannah Schoenbaum, The Associated Press
