US fugitive Nicholas Rossi sent back to the States from Scotland
The 36-year-old has been extradited back to the States to face charges, including rape
Last updated 5th Jan 2024
A fugitive living in Scotland suspected of faking his own death has been extradited back to the US to face charges including.
Nicholas Rossi, 36, had claimed he had been the victim of mistaken identity - telling courts he is an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight.
But following a lengthy legal process a sheriff ruled he is Nicholas Rossi, and Scottish ministers signed an extradition order last September.
Rossi's appeal against extradition was dismissed in December, paving the way for him to be removed from the country.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said on Friday: "We assisted partner agencies with the extradition of a 36-year-old man."
Rossi is wanted in connection with the rape of a woman in Utah
Rossi is wanted in the US for allegedly raping a woman in Utah in 2008 and also faces domestic abuse charges.
He is alleged to have faked his own death before hiding out in Scotland.
It is understood police in Essex are also investigating him in relation to a non-recent allegation of rape.
He was arrested last year in connection with that investigation and has been bailed until March.
36-year-old came to attention of authorities while in hospital in Glasgow
Rossi initially came to the attention of authorities when he was in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow in 2021, where he was being treated for Covid-19.
The subsequent case gathered international attention for its bizarre nature, with Rossi - who would be taken into court in a wheelchair while using an oxygen mask - steadfastly claiming he was Knight.
In his appeal against extradition heard in the autumn, Rossi - who repeatedly criticised his own lawyers - represented himself, making claims including that he would not receive a fair trial in the US because he was investigating those seeking to extradite him, that he had been denied medical care in prison, and hitting out at what he called a "media circus" surrounding the case.
But the decision of Lady Dorrian, Lord Malcolm and Lord Armstrong said much of the material Rossi had included in his note of appeal had "absolutely no relevance" to it and the "only vaguely recognisable ground" he submitted was that of defective representation.
Court dismissed claims of mistaken identity
The decision concluded with a reference to a sheriff's previous statement about facets of Rossi's character complicating what he considered to be "a straightforward case".
It said: "We agree with the sheriff that the appellant's case is, at its core, a straightforward one.
"The evidence supporting that the appellant is Nicholas Rossi was overwhelming. He did not, nor does he now, produce anything which would suggest to the contrary.”