Wanted Rapist That Fled The U.S. & Faked His Death Now Claims He Is Not The Man They’re Looking For [Video]

A wanted rapist who fled the United States and faked his death now claims he’s not the man on the FBI wanted list.

This bizarre tale kicked off in 2008 when Nicholas Rossi, also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, committed rape in Utah. Additionally, he faces charges of failing to register as a sex offender in Rhode Island and fraud charges in Ohio. He fled to the United Kingdom, and officials believe he brazenly faked his death to avoid extradition in 2020. Now living in Scotland, Rossi has resurfaced with a new story, swearing he is not actually the rapist but a severely ill man named Arthur Knight.

His latest scheme came to light in late 2021 when he was hospitalized for COVID-19 under his new alias at a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. Police arrested him in January 2022, but Rossi maintains his innocence despite his fingerprints and tattoos being matched to those collected in the U.S.

During an interview with the NBC program Dateline days ago, the 35-year-old put on an Oscar-worthy performance. Wearing an oxygen mask that he frequently fogged up as he “struggled” to breathe, Rossi claimed he was Knight and never stepped foot on American soil. Alongside his supportive and slightly gullible wife, Miranda Knight, he told the reporter that he was an Irish orphan who was being blamed for a crime he had never committed. The odd man says he cannot walk nor breathe and even tries to stand to display his alleged disability. At one point, he even gets angry and yells, “I am not Nicholas Alahverdian! I do not know how to make this clearer!”

Despite his act, authorities say this is all a scheme to avoid facing his charges. An online obituary claimed Rossi died on February 29th, 2020, after telling people he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had weeks to live.

The FBI is still working to bring him to justice.