PROVO, Utah — Former fugitive Nicholas Rossi claimed his life was in danger during an evidentiary hearing Wednesday in which he was ordered to remain in jail ahead of his rape trial.
In his ruling, Fourth District Court Judge Derek P. Pullan cited several examples of alleged misinformation previously shared by Rossi, including faking his death, to show that it was highly probable that he would attempt to flee the country if released from jail.
Since being incarcerated in the Utah County Jail, Rossi has been unable to pay the bond on his $350,000 bail.
Rossi is accused of originally fleeing the U.S. after being identified as a suspect in a 2008 rape case in Orem. He was eventually extradited from Scotland in January, despite years of claiming that he was not Nicholas Rossi, and was instead a man known as Arthur Knight.
Earlier this year, Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, said he was an Irish orphan and that he'd been framed by authorities who took his fingerprints while he was in a coma so they could connect him to Rossi.
While speaking with a raspy voice under oath Wednesday inside the Provo courtroom, Rossi attempted to explain why he had changed his name numerous times, including a change to Arthur Knight while living in Scotland.
The surname Knight comes from Rossi's wife, Miranda Knight.
According to Rossi, he was forced to make the change while overseas due to him receiving what he called "credible threats" against his life and those of his family. He said the threats stemmed from his previous work in child services, but originally refused to answer who he was making the alleged threats.
During cross-examination by the state, Rossi said his life would still be in danger should he be released from jail, prompting the state to remark that it would appear that jail would be the safest place for him.
Rossi also initially refused to reveal where he worked while living in the United Kingdom, before claiming he was employed as a public information officer with a company called ICO.
During the hearing, the state argued why Rossi was a probably flight risk should he be allowed to leave jail, including having previously told an FBI agent during a fraud investigation that he would leave the U.S. to go to a country where he could not be extradited.
Rossi, who has no current ties to Utah or a place to live, also obtained a fraudulent government ID while in Scotland, and the state claimed he would easily be able to replicate other identification to leave the country, even without a passport.
Rossi’s attorney’s had asked the judge to set his bail at $10,000, down from $250,000 that was set when a warrant was originally issued for his arrest.
After the bail hearing, the court held an arraignment, where Mr. Rossi plead not guilty to the first-degree felony rape charge.
He’ll have another long day in court Thursday in Salt Lake County where a bail hearing is set for the rape charge he faces there, that case also going back to 2008.
Rossi’s next court appearance in Utah County is scheduled for October 29 for a pre-trial hearing.
