Rape suspect accused of faking his death to avoid justice denies his identity

Salt Lake Metropolis — An individual accused of faking his death and fleeing the U.S. to steer clear of rape bills in Utah denied at a court docket docket look Tuesday that he’s the suspect and, in an apparent British accent, generally known as allegations that he wasn’t giving his true title “full hearsay.”

Nicholas Rossi, whose licensed title is Nicholas Alahverdian, is charged with the rape of a 21-year-old girl in Orem, Utah, in 2008, prosecutors talked about. He wasn’t acknowledged as a suspect until a couple of decade later as a consequence of a backlog of DNA verify kits on the Utah State Crime Lab.

Rossi, 36, was extradited from Scotland earlier this month.

On the time, reports CBS Salt Lake City affiliate KUTV,  the prosecutor who first filed bills in the direction of Rossi conveyed his “heartfelt respect and gratitude to regulation enforcement companies worldwide for his or her unwavering dedication to on the lookout for justice for the victims.” Former Utah County Prosecutor David O. Leavitt talked about, “Now, it’s Utah County’s flip to face up for the victims and honor the years of diligent work.”

Rossi acknowledged himself Tuesday as Arthur Knight Brown and gave a birthdate in British English – itemizing the day first, adopted by the month and 12 months – that’s fully completely different from Rossi’s, KSTU-TV reported.

He appeared from jail by way of video carrying an oxygen masks and didn’t enter a plea on the preliminary court docket docket look. He was obscure at events and wanted to lift up the masks to be heard.

Deputy Salt Lake County lawyer Tamara Basuez talked about Rossi has not admitted his title or birthdate since he returned to Utah.

“Objection, my lady, that’s full hearsay,” Rossi suggested the select.

Rossi is jailed with out the potential of posting bail throughout the Orem case. The select set a detention listening to for Jan. 26.

The select talked about a lawyer may be appointed for Rossi. He talked about he has one, nevertheless that the lawyer didn’t acquire uncover of Tuesday’s listening to.

Rossi, who grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island, made a fame for himself there as a vocal critic of the state’s Division of Kids, Youth and Households.

4 years prior to now, he suggested media in Rhode Island that he had late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had weeks to remain. An obituary printed on-line claimed he died Feb. 29, 2020.

He used a minimal of 10 fully completely different aliases over time, prosecutors talked about.

Authorities talked about his run from the regulation ended when he was arrested in December 2021 after being acknowledged by someone at a Glasgow, Scotland, hospital whereas he was being dealt with for COVID-19. He insisted he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight and had certainly not set foot on American soil.

The individual had talked about he was framed by authorities who took his fingerprints whereas he was in a coma so they could be part of him to Rossi. He has repeatedly appeared in court docket docket in a wheelchair, using an oxygen masks and speaking with the plain British accent.

After a protracted court docket docket battle, Determine Norman McFadyen of Edinburgh Sheriff Courtroom ruled in August that the extradition could move forward. The select generally known as Rossi “as dishonest and deceitful as he’s evasive and manipulative.”