Nicholas Rossi, an American fugitive accused of faking his own death to flee the country in order to avoid rape charges, has been brought back to the United States and is currently held in custody in a Utah jail. Rossi, whose real name is Nicholas Alahverdian, faces charges related to the sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman in Utah and a former girlfriend in Salt Lake County, both incidents occurring in 2008. In addition to these charges, he also faces multiple complaints in Rhode Island and Ohio for accusations of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and fraud.
The 36-year-old had been using several aliases to elude authorities and managed to avoid detection for many years until his arrest in Scotland, where he was receiving treatment for COVID-19 and claiming a false identity. Despite his efforts to avoid extradition, a judge ruled that he could be returned to the U.S., and he was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service. His initial court date in Utah had not yet been set, and it is still unclear who will represent him in court.
Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had previously returned to the state before allegedly faking his death and fleeing the country. An online obituary claimed that Rossi died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but doubts were raised by state police and his former foster family about the truth of his death.