Man Faked Death, Evaded US Rape Charges for Years, Now Convicted in Utah for 2008 Sexual Assault
A Rhode Island native stands convicted of first-degree felony rape in Salt Lake County, Utah, following a three-day trial that ended on Wednesday. The defendant, Nicholas Rossi, now 38, was found guilty of the 2008 sexual assault of his former girlfriend. In declining to testify in his own defense, he forfeited the opportunity to present any counterarguments before the jury.
The verdict came hours after the conclusion of the trial, during which the accuser and her parents took the stand. Rossi is scheduled to be sentenced on October 20th, and another rape charge in Utah County awaits him in September.
Should he be found guilty in this subsequent trial, Rossi faces a sentence ranging from five years to life in prison, as outlined by Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. In a statement issued Wednesday evening, Gill expressed gratitude towards the accuser for her courage and tenacity, praising her willingness to come forward and seek justice.
The Utah authorities began searching for Rossi, formerly known as Nicholas Alahverdian, in 2018 when he was identified through a DNA rape kit dating back a decade. This investigation led to the identification and charging of thousands of suspects as part of an effort to clear the state’s rape kit backlog.
Months after his initial Utah County charges, an online obituary announced Rossi’s supposed death on February 29, 2020, due to late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, doubts were raised by Rhode Island police, his former lawyer, and a former foster family about the veracity of this claim. Rossi was ultimately apprehended in Scotland the following year while receiving treatment for COVID-19, having been recognized by hospital staff due to his distinctive tattoos from an Interpol notice.
During this week’s court proceedings, Rossi appeared in a wheelchair, dressed formally with a suit and tie, and using an oxygen tank. Throughout the trial, prosecutors painted a picture of a manipulative individual who exploited a vulnerable young woman, taking advantage of her emotional state to commit the assault.
The woman testified that she was living with her parents and recovering from a traumatic brain injury when she responded to a personal ad posted by Rossi on Craigslist. Their relationship progressed quickly, with engagement occurring within about two weeks. However, soon after their engagement, Rossi’s behavior turned hostile, culminating in the sexual assault that took place in his bedroom one night following her drive home from a date.
The woman initially chose not to report the incident due to dismissive comments from her parents. She eventually came forward after seeing him in the news and learning of additional rape charges from the same year. Rossi’s lawyers attempted to argue that the accuser’s resentment, built up over their month-long relationship during which she footed the bill for everything, motivated her false accusation against him.
In a separate case, Rossi is accused of attacking another former girlfriend in September 2008 at his apartment in Orem. This incident occurred after she went to collect money that he had allegedly stolen from her to purchase a computer. Initial police interviews with Rossi revealed his claim that the woman had raped him and threatened to have him killed.
Rossi, who grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island before allegedly faking his death, is also wanted in the state for failing to register as a sex offender. The FBI has additionally implicated him in fraud charges in Ohio, where he was convicted of sex-related crimes in 2008.