A convicted rapist who attempted to feign his death and escape prosecution in the United States has been apprehended and sentenced to jail.
Nicholas Rossi, despite denying his involvement for nearly two decades, was found guilty of raping two women in the US. He was captured in Scotland, where he had fled after the assaults, following a false report of his demise due to cancer.
After a lengthy legal process, Rossi, also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, was handed a five-year prison term by District Judge Barry Lawrence in Salt Lake City, Utah. Testimony from one of the survivors highlighted the lasting trauma inflicted by Rossi’s actions.
Deputy District Attorney Brandon Simmons emphasized Rossi’s pattern of using rape as a tool for control and the threat he posed to public safety, given his history and behavior.
Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, Rossi was found guilty for one of the assaults, with sentencing for the second rape scheduled for a later date. The delay in justice was attributed to the identification of Rossi through DNA evidence from a previous rape kit, which led to his arrest in 2018.
Subsequent to being charged and identified through a statewide effort to clear rape kit backlogs, Rossi was falsely reported as deceased online. However, his true identity was unveiled in Scotland, where he was recognized by hospital staff and later extradited to Utah in 2024 after claiming mistaken identity.
Rossi’s defense team argued against the rape accusations and his overseas relocation, but the jury ultimately convicted him. His use of multiple aliases over the years to evade capture further complicated the legal proceedings.