Man who faked death, fled country faces second rape trial

A second trial was scheduled to begin in Utah on Monday for a man accused of raping a former girlfriend, faking his death, and fleeing the country. Prosecutors accuse Nicholas Rossi, also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, of raping his former girlfriend in September 2008. Rossi, 38, was previously convicted in August of raping his ex-fiancée in December 2008. Rossi’s sentencing in that case is scheduled for Oct. 20.

What’s the background of the case? Although the alleged assault of the former girlfriend occurred in 2008, authorities didn’t identify Rossi as a suspect until 2020 due to a backlog in rape kit processing. The same year, an online obituary surfaced falsely claiming Rossi died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Yet officials found Rossi two years later, alive in the United Kingdom, living under the assumed identity of Arthur Knight. Rossi spoke to news outlets from a wheelchair with a British accent, insisting he was an Irish businessman who was orphaned as a child. However, Rossi admitted to the deception after his extradition back to the United States in 2024. He claimed he changed his name to protect himself against threats he received while working as a foster care advocate in Rhode Island. Despite admitting to the false identity, Rossi has pleaded not guilty to all charges and insists he is innocent of sexual assault.