A Rhode Island man, Nicholas Rossi, who allegedly faked his own death and fled to the United Kingdom to avoid rape charges, is set to be sentenced in Utah on Monday. Rossi, 38, faces a prison sentence ranging from five years to life after being convicted in connection with two separate rape cases dating back to 2008. The sentencing marks the first of two scheduled hearings in Utah, with the second set for November 4.
Rossi's crimes came to light after a long and complex legal process. He was found guilty in August by a Utah jury for raping one of the two women, following a three-day trial where the victim and her parents testified. Rossi did not take the stand in his defense. The conviction was the result of years of investigation, as the initial assaults occurred over a decade ago. Utah authorities began searching for Rossi after a DNA rape kit, collected years before, linked him to one of the cases in 2018. This discovery was part of a broader effort by Utah officials to process and clear a backlog of untested rape kits, which led to the identification and charging of thousands of suspects.
Shortly after the charges were made public, an online obituary claimed that Rossi had died on February 29, 2020, from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, law enforcement officials in Rhode Island, along with Rossi’s former attorney and a family who had fostered him, expressed skepticism about the authenticity of the death report. Their doubts proved valid when Rossi was located and arrested in Scotland the following year while receiving treatment for COVID-19. Hospital staff recognized distinctive tattoos on his body, including the crest of Brown University tattooed on his shoulder, despite the fact that Rossi never attended the university. These tattoos were referenced in an Interpol notice, leading to his identification and apprehension.
Following a prolonged legal battle, Rossi was extradited to Utah in January 2024 to face charges. Throughout the process, he maintained his innocence and claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who was the victim of a conspiracy. Investigators have since uncovered that Rossi used at least a dozen aliases over the years to avoid detection and capture.
During his first trial in Utah, Rossi’s public defender argued against the rape allegations and cautioned the jury not to read too much into Rossi’s overseas flight as evidence of guilt. The victim in the first case testified that in 2008, while recovering from a traumatic brain injury and living with her parents, she responded to a personal ad Rossi had posted on Craigslist. The two quickly began dating and became engaged within a few weeks. However, the relationship took a troubling turn as Rossi asked the victim to pay for dates and car repairs, lend him $1,000 to avoid eviction, and even take on debt to purchase engagement rings. After their engagement, Rossi reportedly became hostile and raped the victim in his bedroom one night after she had driven him home.
The victim did not come forward immediately. She only reported the assault to the police years later after hearing that Rossi was accused of raping another woman in Utah during the same period. The second victim had come forward soon after her attack, which allegedly occurred at Rossi’s apartment in Orem, Utah. She had visited Rossi to collect money he was accused of stealing from her to buy a computer.
Rossi’s background sheds light on his troubled history. He was raised in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned there before apparently faking his death and fleeing the country. He was previously wanted in Rhode Island for failing to register as a sex offender, a legal requirement for individuals convicted of certain sex crimes. The FBI also revealed that Rossi faces additional fraud charges in Ohio, where he had been convicted of sex-related offenses in 2008.
The case against Nicholas Rossi highlights the challenges law enforcement agencies face in tracking and prosecuting offenders who use multiple aliases and attempt to evade justice by fleeing the country or faking their deaths. Rossi’s capture and conviction were made possible through the use of modern forensic techniques, such as DNA analysis, and international cooperation facilitated by Interpol.
As Rossi awaits sentencing in Utah, the victims in both cases seek closure after years of trauma and uncertainty. The first sentencing hearing scheduled for Monday could result in a prison term ranging from five years to life, with a second sentencing to follow in November. The severity of the sentences reflects the gravity of the crimes and the prolonged efforts required to bring Rossi to justice after more than a decade