Latest news with #NicholasAlahverdian
CBS News
4 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.
ITV News
8 hours ago
- ITV News
Man accused of faking his death and fleeing to Scotland stands trial in the US
A man accused of faking his own death and fleeing to Scotland to avoid rape charges in the United States is now standing trial. Nicholas Alahverdian, who is better known as Nicholas Rossi, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. The 38-year-old will stand trial for two cases separately, with the first now underway in Salt Lake City. Rossi was arrested in Scotland in 2021 - a year after he was reported dead. An obituary published online in February 2020 claimed he died of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma but state police, along with Rossi's former lawyer and a former foster family, doubted his death. Then staff at a Glasgow hospital recognised his tattoos from an Interpol notice while he was receiving treatment for covid-19 and alerted authorities. Rossi lost his attempt to appeal his extradition, where he claimed he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who had never set foot on American soil and was being framed. He was extradited to Utah in January 2024. Prosecutors said they had identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi had used over the years to evade capture. Rossi's first trial by jury began at Salt Lake City on Monday. The court heard Rossi had a relationship with the woman who accused him of rape. Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Brandon Simmons told the court Rossi was an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman but when she pushed back against his attempts to control her, he raped her. 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 was 'a little bit heavier, a little bit older' but mostly looked the same. The court heard the couple's relationship began in November 2008 when the woman - who cannot be identified - was recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The pair met through a personal advert 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. '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 jury." She also told the court the relationship spiraled quickly after their engagement, with Rossi 'becoming controlling and saying mean things to me'. She decided to end the relationship and agreed to go to Rossi's house to talk, which is when the alleged rape occurred. Rossi's lawyers said the alleged victim had 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. '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.' The trial continues.
BreakingNews.ie
9 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
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. Advertisement Prosecutors are trying the cases separately, with the first set in Salt Lake County. Nicholas Rossi appeared in court in Salt Lake City in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen supply (Firecrest Films via AP, Pool) 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 he claimed this was a case of mistaken identity. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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 onto his bed, held her down and 'forced me to have sex with him', she alleged. Nicholas Rossi departs Edinburgh Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court after his extradition hearing (PA) 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 29th 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.
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
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. Nicholas Rossi appeared in court in Salt Lake City in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen supply. Photograph: Firecrest Films via AP/ Pool Mr Rossi (38) was extradited from Scotland to the US in January 2024 after a lengthy case in the Scottish courts. READ MORE 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 Mr Rossi. An extradition hearing took place in June 2023, with Sheriff McFadyen ruling there was no barrier to Mr Rossi's extradition. In his Scottish hearings, Mr Rossi would appear in a wheelchair and sometimes with an oxygen mask. An extradition warrant was signed in September 2023 and Mr Rossi was finally sent to the US in January 2024. Prosecutors in the US say they have identified at least a dozen aliases Mr Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Mr 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 Mr Rossi by different names. The defence and prosecution agreed it is factual that Mr 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 Mr 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 Mr 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 Mr Rossi 'becoming controlling and saying mean things to me', she alleged. The couple got into a fight in which Mr 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. Nicholas Rossi departing Edinburgh Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court after his extradition hearing. Photograph: PA 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 Mr Rossi to small claims court over the engagement rings but dropped the case. Mr Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury that the alleged victim built up years of resentment after Mr 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. Mr Rossi will also stand trial in September over another rape charge in Utah County. Mr 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 29th, 2020 of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. State police, along with Mr 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. – Associated Press
Yahoo
10 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.
