Fugitive Fakes Death in U.S. to Dodge Sexual Assault Convictions

Nicholas Rossi, notorious for faking his death to escape legal consequences in the U.S., faced justice as he was convicted of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend in Utah. The verdict was delivered by a Salt Lake County jury following a concise three-day trial.

Rossi, who declined to testify, was identified by hospital staff in Glasgow due to his tattoos, resulting in his arrest. The claim of his death in 2020, attributed to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was proven false when suspicions arose from authorities and associates in Rhode Island.

His extradition followed a failed attempt to convince authorities of his new identity as an Irish orphan. The trial and conviction mark significant progress in a complex case involving evasion tactics extending beyond national borders.

(With inputs from agencies.)