Rhode Island man who faked his own death faces second rape charge in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (WLNE) — Nicholas Alahverdian, who goes by several other names, including Nicholas Rossi and Arthur Knight, is facing a second rape charge in Utah stemming from a 2008 incident.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office filed a warrant for of one count of rape against Nicholas Rossi Wednesday.

According to court documents, Rossi is accused of forcibly having sex with a woman against her will in late 2008.

The woman told police that she met Rossi online and was “manipulative” and at one point convinced her to loan him money in which he did not repay.

The allegations further state the two got into an argument over breaking up and Rossi ultimately raped her in his bedroom, according to court records.

“There is a consistent pattern of behavior, where the defendant (Rossi) will meet a female online, he will initially meet with them in public, eventually going somewhere alone with the female and will initiate some inappropriate contact,” wrote the lead investigator in the case.

The investigator further stated that over the course of his investigation, he discovered Rossi has been accused of theft by an old roommate, involved of cases of sexual assault and harassment and a possible kidnapping in several states, including the first rape case in Utah and other incidents tied to Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The investigator also noted in his report that Rossi faked his own death and was found in Scotland living under numerous aliases. The investigator said fingerprints from Scotland linked Rossi to the 2008 rape.

“A no bail warrant for the arrest of Nicholas Rossi has been issued. We are working with the Utah County Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney on the extradition of Nicholas Rossi from Scotland,” the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Rossi, who was known as Nicholas Alahverdian in Rhode Island, “died” in 2020.

However, authorities announced earlier this year that Rossi was found alive in Scotland.

DNA from a rape test kit out of Utah County, from a different 2008 rape linked him to the crime and he was ultimately charged in the Utah County case and is still awaiting extradition.

Rossi has denied he is the same man and says his name is Arthur Knight.

Last week, Rossi was charged with assault a hospital staffer in Scotland and a fingerprint kit linked him to the Utah County rape.

He is currently in a Scottish jail after being denied bail for the hospital incident, which is expected to delay the extradition process.