A man accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to avoid a rape charge in Utah denied being the suspect in court Tuesday, giving his apparent British accent and not giving his real name. He called the allegations “complete hearsay.” ”
Nicholas Rossi, whose real name is Nicholas Alaverdyan, was charged with raping a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, in 2008, prosecutors said.
He was not identified as a suspect until nearly a decade later, due to a backlog of DNA test kits at the Utah State Crime Lab.
Rossi, 36, was extradited from Scotland earlier this month.
He introduced himself as Arthur Knight Brown on Tuesday and gave his date of birth in British English (listing the day first, followed by the month and year). This is different from Rossi's. Reported by Democratic People's Republic of Korea Television.
He appeared in court by video from prison wearing an oxygen mask but did not enter a plea at his first court appearance. His words were difficult to understand at times and I had to lift my mask to hear.
Salt Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Tamara Vazuez said Rossi has not acknowledged his name or date of birth since returning to Utah.
“I disagree, ma'am, it's complete hearsay,” Rossi told the judge.
Rossi will be jailed without the possibility of bail in the Orem case. The judge set a detention hearing for Jan. 26.
The judge said Mr. Rossi would be appointed a lawyer. He has, but his attorney said he has not received notice of Tuesday's hearing.
Rossi, who grew up in a foster home in Rhode Island, made a name for herself there as a vocal critic of the state's Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Four years ago, he told Rhode Island media that he had terminal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had only weeks to live.
An obituary published online states that he passed away on February 29, 2020.
Prosecutors say he used at least 10 different aliases over the years.
Authorities said his escape ended when he was arrested in December 2021 after someone recognized him while he was being treated for COVID-19 at a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland.
He claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who had never set foot on American soil.
The man had claimed that police had his fingerprints taken while in a coma and that he was framed by authorities in order to link him to Rossi.
He appeared in court multiple times in a wheelchair, used an oxygen mask and spoke with a distinctly British accent.
After a protracted legal battle, Judge Norman Macfadyen at Edinburgh Sheriff Court ruled in August that the extradition could proceed.
The judge described Rossi as “evasive and manipulative, as well as dishonest and deceitful.”
