Nicholas Rossi to face 'no further action' on Essex rape allegation, police confirm

An American fugitive who is alleged to have faked his own death and fled to Scotland to evade serious charges will face “no further action” on a rape allegation in England.

Nicholas Rossi, who was extradited from Scotland to Utah in January, had been arrested by officers investigating the serious sexual assault allegation in the Chelmsford area of England in 2017.

Essex detectives were alerted to the serious sex attack allegation two years ago, and Rossi was detained in custody, questioned by officers and bailed pending further investigations.

English prosecutors have now confirmed Rossi will face no further action, as there is “no realistic prospect of a conviction”.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “As part of our investigation, we remained in consistent dialogue with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and its specialist international liaison team.

“When our investigation was complete, our findings were submitted to the CPS. We received correspondence from the CPS which set out a decision to take no further action as there was no realistic prospect of a conviction.

“Throughout this stage of the investigation, we have worked determinedly to present the strongest possible legal case and we have remained in consistent dialogue with the victim.”

Scotland

Nicholas Rossi appears in US court on rape charge

The man, who was recently extradited from Scotland, maintained he is an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight.

Rossi is alleged to have faked his own death before hiding out in Scotland.

He was accused of setting up his own memorial service and fleeing to the UK in an effort to avoid US prosecution.

The 36-year-old had claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, but a court ruled he was actually registered sex offender Nicholas Rossi – who was wanted by authorities in Utah for allegedly raping a woman in 2008.

It comes after he was found guilty of sexual imposition and public indecency while a student at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio, in 2008.

He was caught and arrested after someone recognised him while being treated for Covid-19 at a hospital in Glasgow in December 2021.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court ruled his tattoos and fingerprints matched those of Rossi – who was featured on an Interpol wanted notice.

Rossi – also known in the US as Nicholas Alahverdian – was extradited from Scotland in January and a trial over his accused crimes remains ongoing in Utah.