Nicholas Rossi (Getty Images)NICHOLAS ROSSI, a rape suspect who claims to be Irishman Arthur Knight will be extradited from Scotland to the US to face charges, a court has ruled.
Mr Rossi claims that he was born in Dublin, and was orphaned before being sent to Britain.
The Press Association reports that Nicholas Rossi is wanted by authorities in Utah for allegedly raping a woman in 2008. He also faces complaints in Rhode Island for alleged domestic violence.
Rossi was arrested in Glasgow in December 2021.
Extensive searches were carried out as to his claims of being Irish. When he left the US in 2017 he initially flew to Dublin.
Before facilitating extradition to the US, Officials had to prove he is the man wanted by the authorities in the state of Utah. After a five-day hearing in November 2022 in Edinburgh, Sheriff Norman McFadyen said: “I am ultimately satisfied on the balance of probabilities... that Mr Knight is indeed Nicholas Rossi.”
Mr Rossi, used a wheelchair during the hearings in Edinburgh, but Sherriff McFadyen expressed her opinion that she was sceptical that he needed one at all.
One of the pieces of evidence linking Mr Rossi to the alleged crime were his arm tattoos, which appeared to be the same as those in photographs provided by the US authorities, along with fingerprint details.
In spite of the court's conclusions, Mr. Rossi persists in his claim that he is Arthur Knight, an Irishman adopted at birth, with a longstanding residency in Britian, and has never set foot in the United States.
Mr Rossi was in a wheelchair and was wearing a black bekishe — a type of frock coat worn by Hasidic Jews. He had converted to Judaism while being held in Edonburgh.
Mr Rossi’s wife Miranda Knight attended the hearings.
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - JULY 12: Nicholas Rossi's wife Miranda Knight arrives at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for his extradition hearing on July 12, 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Nicholas Rossi, who has insisted he is an Irishman named Arthur Knight, has been fighting extradition to the US over rape allegations. Last year, a Scottish court ruled that he is the fugitive American authorities are looking for. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)