A man in Utah facing charges for two rapes has stated that he adopted various identities in the United Kingdom and allegedly staged his own death due to life-threatening threats. During a court session in Provo, Nicholas Rossi claimed that after relocating to Europe in 2017, he became aware of credible threats against him through his political connections in Rhode Island, as reported in 2020.
Rossi, who has also been recognized by names such as Nicholas Alahverdian, Nicholas Brown, and Arthur Knight, has been an active critic of Rhode Island’s Department of Children, Youth and Families. He provided testimony to state legislators regarding the sexual abuse and mistreatment he endured while in the foster care system as a child. While he hinted that the threats were linked to his advocacy for changes in foster care policies, he refrained from revealing the identities of those who allegedly threatened him, stating, “I don’t want to give a mouse cheese.”
In response to Rossi’s statements, Fourth District Judge Derek Pullan temporarily closed the courtroom to allow him to disclose the nature of the threats safely. Rossi’s legal team attempted to persuade Judge Pullan that their client was not a flight risk and sought to reduce his bail, enabling him to be released while facing trial. He is accused of raping a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, in 2008, and that incident’s rape kit had remained untapped until 2017 due to a backlog of DNA cases at the Utah State Crime Lab. During the hearing, Rossi entered a plea of not guilty concerning this accusation.
In addition to the Orem case, Rossi is also facing charges for allegedly raping a 26-year-old ex-girlfriend following a dispute in Salt Lake County, also in 2008. His legal troubles escalated when he was arrested in Scotland in 2021 after being recognized at a hospital while receiving treatment for COVID-19. He contested his extradition to Utah for three years, initially denying his identity as Rossi and claiming to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who had never been to the U.S. and was being falsely accused.
Investigator Derek Coates revealed during the hearing that Rossi departed the U.S. for Ireland in 2017 amid an FBI investigation into a foundation he established to assist abused children, which was being scrutinized for possible fraud. Rossi held an Irish driver’s license using the alias Nicholas Brown, but police confirmed that it was a counterfeit identification based on a stolen document.
Due to the muscle weakness caused by the coronavirus, Rossi requires assistance with oxygen and utilizes a wheelchair. His defense team argued for his release from jail, emphasizing the need for physical therapy to help him regain mobility. However, Judge Pullan expressed concerns regarding Rossi’s history and the financial support he receives from his wife in the U.K., leading him to believe that Rossi could potentially flee despite his health complications. Consequently, Judge Pullan ruled to keep Rossi in custody without bail.