Nicholas Rossi, who claimed to be Irish orphan and fled to Scotland to avoid US rape charges, jailed for at least five years

"Nicholas Rossi, 38, originally from Rhode Island in the US, was sentenced by district judge Barry Lawrence in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Associated Press reports. It was the first of two sentences handed to Rossi, who was found guilty of a second rape charge in September. Both offences took place in northern Utah in 2008."

"Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, will be sentenced for the second conviction in November. His first sentence will be carried out at the Utah State Correctional Facility and will begin immediately. The judge said Utah has an indeterminate sentencing, meaning it is given in a range of years rather than a fixed number, so he could spend life in prison as the state's board of pardons and parole will determine the release date."

"Shortly before his sentencing, one victim said he had left a "trail of fear, pain and destruction" behind him. "This is not a plea for vengeance. This is a plea for safety and accountability, for recognition of the damage that will never fully heal," she said. Rossi did not give evidence on his own and when given a chance to speak, he maintained his innocence. "I am not guilty of this. These women are lying," Rossi said softly, with a raspy voice, according to the Associated Press."

Nicholas Rossi, 38, originally from Rhode Island, was sentenced by district judge Barry Lawrence in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was found guilty of two rape offences that took place in northern Utah in 2008; the second conviction was returned in September. Rossi claimed mistaken identity, saying he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who was being framed. His legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian. He will be sentenced for the second conviction in November. The first sentence will begin immediately at the Utah State Correctional Facility under Utah's indeterminate sentencing, allowing the parole board to determine any release date. A victim described a "trail of fear, pain and destruction" and urged safety and accountability. Rossi maintained his innocence and had previously appeared to stage his own death before being arrested in December 2021.

Read at Irish Independent