A decide in Scotland dominated Friday {that a} man who has spent nearly a 12 months combating extradition to america is Nicholas Rossi, a fugitive alleged to have faked his personal demise to flee rape allegations.
The suspect was arrested in December 2021 at a Glasgow hospital the place he was being handled for COVID-19. He denies being Rossi and says he’s an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who has by no means been to the U.S.
After seeing proof together with fingerprints and tattoos, decide Norman McFadyen advised Edinburgh Sheriff Courtroom that “I’m finally happy on the stability of chances … that Mr. Knight is certainly Nicholas Rossi, the particular person looked for extradition by america.”
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The suspect has accused authorities of getting him tattooed whereas he was in a coma to resemble the needed man and of surreptitiously taking his fingerprints to border him.
McFadyen stated these claims of mistaken id had been “implausible” and “fanciful.”
U.S. authorities say Rossi is an alias utilized by Nicholas Alahverdian, 35, who has been charged in reference to a 2008 rape in Utah.
Authorities in Rhode Island have stated Alahverdian can be needed of their state for failing to register as a intercourse offender. The FBI has stated he additionally faces fraud costs in Ohio, the place he was convicted of sex-related costs in 2008.
In recent times, Alahverdian had been an outspoken critic of Rhode Island’s Division of Youngsters, Youth and Households, testifying earlier than state lawmakers about being sexually abused and tortured whereas in foster care.
Then in 2020, he advised native media he had late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had weeks to reside.
An obituary printed on-line claimed he died on Feb. 29, 2020. However by final 12 months, Rhode Island state police, Alahverdian’s former lawyer and former foster household had been publicly doubting whether or not he truly died.
Since his arrest in Scotland, the suspect has made a number of court docket appearances and fired at the least six attorneys — all whereas insisting he is not Nicholas Rossi.
Now that his id has been established a full extradition listening to is scheduled to start in March. The decide refused a request for bail, saying Rossi was a flight danger.
