Nicholas Rossi: US Fugitive Faces Rape Trial Following Withdrawal of Plea Deal | UK News
A US fugitive, who contested extradition from Scotland by asserting he was a victim of mistaken identity, is set to stand trial on rape charges after Utah prosecutors retracted their plea deal offer.
Nicholas Rossi was returned to the US last year following a protracted legal dispute in which he claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, who had never entered America.
In October of the last year, Rossi acknowledged in court for the first time that he and Knight were indeed the same individual.
Rossi faces allegations of raping a 21-year-old woman in Orem in 2008 and a 26-year-old woman in Salt Lake County the same year.
He denies all accusations against him.
Rossi in 2023. Pic: PA
During a hearing in Provo on Tuesday concerning the Orem case, fourth district judge Derek P Pullan inquired: “My understanding is that there were ongoing settlement discussions. Were those successful, or do you require a trial date?”
Defense attorney Daniel Diaz responded: “Your honor, unfortunately, they have not borne fruit.”
The prosecution confirmed that the plea deal has been withdrawn, with no further proposals anticipated.
Rossi previously appearing via videolink from jail. Pic: AP
Judge Pullan then asked: “We will proceed with the trial, correct?”
Stephen Jones, deputy Utah County attorney, confirmed: “That is correct, your honor. The state has withdrawn any plea offers with the understanding that none will be provided again.”
Rossi, who was present via prison videolink, is now set to face trial for the Salt Lake County case in April and the Orem case in September.
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Rossi, also known as Nicholas Alahverdian and Nicholas Brown, denies allegations of fleeing the US in 2017 and allegedly faking his own death to evade arrest.
He asserts that after relocating to Europe in 2017, he discovered credible threats to his life which prompted him to change his name for safety reasons.
Pic: PA
Rossi was detained while receiving treatment for COVID at a Glasgow hospital in December 2021.
The accused consistently claimed he was a victim of mistaken identity, but in November 2022, the Edinburgh Sheriff Court determined that his tattoos and fingerprints matched those of Rossi.
Rossi previously argued that the tattoos must have been applied while he was unconscious in the hospital.
He was ultimately extradited back to the US in January 2024.
