American Fugitive Charged with Rape, Allegedly Pretends to Be Deceased, Now Incarcerated in Utah Detention Facility

After being extradited from Scotland last week, 36-year-old U.S. fugitive Nicholas Rossi was transported to a Utah jail for rape charges. The Utah State Crime Lab’s DNA test kit backlogs revealed Rossi’s 2008 sexual assault on a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, a decade later.

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Fugitive Rossi Accused of Rape Faces Multiple Charges in Rhode Island and Ohio

Another Salt Lake County felony rape accusation alleges Rossi raped a 26-year-old ex-girlfriend in 2008 after an altercation.

In Rhode Island and Ohio, he faces various domestic violence, sexual abuse, and fraud charges. The 36-year-old has used at least 10 aliases to cover his tracks.

Rossi, who was raised in Rhode Island foster homes, returned to the state before reportedly faking his death and going abroad. Late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma killed him on Feb. 29, 2020, according to an online obituary. His death was questioned by state police and his former foster family.

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Accused of Faking Death, Faces Extradition for Rape Charges

Following COVID-19 treatment in Glasgow, Rossi was arrested in 2021. He identified himself as Arthur Knight, an Irish orphan who had never been to the U.S. while arrested. A Scottish judge concluded in August that Rossi may be extradited, calling him “dishonest and deceitful.”

Rossi was arrested by the US Marshals Service after a December appeal failed. The northern Utah Davis County Jail holds federal detainees. He will then face felony rape charges in Utah County. On Monday, Rossi had no court date or attorney. Law enforcement pursues fugitives, including those who fake their death to avoid justice.

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