Nicholas Rossi, a rape suspect who has been on the run from the US for several years, missed his latest extradition hearing after an alleged altercation. The hearing, which was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, was intended to determine whether Rossi would be returned to the United States to face charges of rape and sexual assault. However, the accused failed to attend, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest. Rossi, who has been described as a dangerous individual, is currently believed to be hiding in Europe, making it difficult for authorities to apprehend him. This article will delve into the details of Rossi’s case, his alleged crimes, and the ongoing efforts to bring him to justice.
Rape suspect Nicholas Rossi failed to attend his extradition hearing after an “altercation” occurred, his solicitor told Sheriff Norman McFayden at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Rossi was being sought after by US authorities in Utah state for alleged sex offences. The hearing was part of a long-extradition battle that had ensued after Rossi had been accused of sexual assault and rape. However, Rossi, who is suspected of faking his own death in 2020, claims that he is an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight and not a US citizen. In November, after months of hearings, Sheriff McFayden ruled Rossi as the person American authorities had been seeking.
The alleged altercation caused Rossi’s absence from the court hearing. Prosecutors are still waiting for reports on Rossi’s psychiatric and physical health, as well as further reports on human rights in US prisons and facilities in Utah. The reports had been instructed earlier this year, and the prosecution required sufficient time to assess them. The full extradition date has been proposed for 26 June and cannot change, according to Mr Harvey, Advocate Depute. Sheriff McFayden gave the defence a further fortnight to acquire expert reports, setting a deadline for 4 May, and scheduled a further preliminary hearing for 22 May, remanding Rossi in custody.
Rossi was alleged to have fled to the UK after faking his death three years ago, without appearing in court to face charges. He was arrested in October last year after checking himself into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow with COVID-19. Rossi had been posing as a tutor under the alias Knight when he was diagnosed with COVID pneumonitis, becoming “the sickest patient on the ward”. Medical staff who were caring for him at the time reported that he was the most ill person in the ward at that time.
While in Scotland, Interpol issued a red notice with pictures of the wanted man, including images of his tattoos and fingerprints, and the Scottish police officers arrested him. If the extradition request is successful, Rossi will be flown to Utah for trial. Defence lawyers are still awaiting reports on the human rights and treatment of prisoners in the US. Prosecutor Harvey criticized the delay, and obstructionism, in the case, insisting that the proceedings have “gone on simply too long.”
