In a dramatic turn of events, Nicholas Rossi, also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, who allegedly faked his own death and escaped to Scotland, has made an appearance in a Utah court to answer charges of raping a woman over 15 years ago.

Appearing via video link at the Third District Court in Utah on Tuesday, Rossi vehemently denied being the suspect and dismissed claims that he had assumed a false identity as "complete hearsay." Throughout the proceedings, he maintained that his real name was Arthur Knight Brown, an Irish orphan.

Rossi's extradition back to the US was successfully carried out earlier this month after a lengthy legal battle. He was apprehended in Glasgow in December 2021 under an international arrest warrant while being treated for Covid. Despite initially asserting mistaken identity, his tattoos and fingerprints were found to match those of Nicholas Rossi during a hearing in Edinburgh in November 2022.

After exhausting all of his legal options, Rossi's final appeal against extradition was rejected on December 14, 2022. On Tuesday, he stood before the Utah court, where prosecutors have charged him with the rape of a 21-year-old woman in 2008. The delay in identifying Rossi as a suspect was attributed to a backlog of DNA test kits at the Utah State Crime Lab, which resulted in the case only surfacing a decade later.

During the court hearing, Rossi continued to deny being Nicholas Rossi, insisting that he was Arthur Knight Brown. State attorney Tamara Basquez informed Judge Kimberly Hornak that Rossi had been extradited but had not provided accurate information regarding his name or date of birth. However, Rossi dismissed these allegations as "complete hearsay" before being interrupted by the judge.

The court proceedings will continue as prosecutors build the case against Nicholas Rossi, who faces serious allegations of rape dating back more than 15 years. The outcome of the trial will determine his guilt or innocence in this disturbing criminal matter.