Nicholas Rossi: Alleged US fugitive faces second rape charge
- Published
The accused arrived wearing pyjamas and slippers at Edinburgh Sheriff Court
A second rape charge has been filed against an alleged US fugitive who is at the centre of an extradition case.
US prosecutors in Utah said Nicholas Rossi raped a former girlfriend in 2008 - the same year he is accused of raping another woman.
They claim Mr Rossi faked his own death and fled to Scotland to evade these and other sexual assault charges.
The man facing extradition proceedings in Edinburgh insists he is not Mr Rossi and it is a case of mistaken identity.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's office said a no-bail warrant had been issued for the arrest of Mr Rossi.
The alleged fugitive appeared via videolink at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday.
He was ordered by the sheriff to provide a set of fingerprints to prove his identity.
The court is being asked to make a ruling on whether the Crown, who are acting on behalf of the US government, has proven that the man is Mr Rossi.
Earlier this week he arrived at the court via ambulance in a wheelchair, dressed in pyjamas and slippers.
The accused, who claims his name is Arthur Knight, asked for reporting restrictions to be placed on the case.
He said it had been "turned into a media circus". That request was turned down by Sheriff Alistair Noble.
In a separate case, the man also appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week accused of threatening staff at the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
He denied shouting, swearing, and pursuing a consultant and senior nurse at the hospital and was remanded in custody, pending a trial fixed for August.
Who is US fugitive Nicholas Rossi?
US prosecutors say Nicholas Rossi is wanted for a series of sexual assaults and two rape charges in the state of Utah.
They claim he fled to the UK to evade the charges and faked his death in March 2020.
US authorities say Mr Rossi has used the aliases Arthur Knight, Nicholas Alahverdian and other names.
In December 2021, a man named Arthur Knight was arrested at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. He was being treated for Covid.
US prosecutors say he is their fugitive, Mr Rossi. He says it is a case of mistaken identity.
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