Scotland OKs extradition of US rape suspect accused of faking own death

[October 05, 2023]  LONDON (Reuters) - The Scottish government said on Thursday it had approved the extradition to the United States of an American man accused of rape who allegedly faked his own death. 

U.S. prosecutors say the man is Nicholas Rossi, linked to rape and sexual assault allegations in Utah, who fled the United States to avoid being charged and attempted to fake his own death in 2020 in an effort to avoid being located.

The man says he is Arthur Knight and is a victim of mistaken identity who has never been to the United States.

"The Scottish ministers have made their decision regarding Mr Nicholas Rossi and signed an extradition order on 28 September 2023," the government said in a statement.

In August, a Scottish court ruled that there was no legal barrier to the extradition of Rossi.

Rossi was first arrested by police in October in 2021 after checking himself into a hospital in Glasgow with COVID-19.

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; Editing by Alex Richardson)

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