A former close friend of fugitive Nicholas Rossi has vowed to fly to Scotland to stand up in court and prove that he is the man wanted in the US for rape and fraud.
Brian Coogan says he can identify Rossi from a scar above his right eye and tattoos of a barcode and bird’s wing on his arms – putting to bed the American’s lies that he is being set up.
Rossi, who is also known by 16 aliases including Nicholas Alahverdian, is fighting efforts to send him back to the US to stand trial.
He was caught in a hospital in Glasgow in December after faking his own death and fleeing to the UK. He claims he is British, that he’s never been to the US in his life and that police have the wrong man.
Coogan, 51, a former member of the State Legislature in Providence, Rhode Island, first met Rossi as a 14-year-old when he was working there as an errand boy.
He was so taken in by the teenager, who claimed he had no family, that he and his wife tried to adopt him.
Coogan told the Sunday Mail: “If I am asked to come over and testify in court I will. Nick has ruined a lot of lives. He is a con artist and a sexual predator. He is not a good man and needs to be stopped.
“He seems to have a lot of people in Scotland fooled.”
Coogan, now a successful businessman, believes that Rossi is already planning his escape after he was bailed by Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this month to his rented flat in Woodlands, Glasgow, where he lives with his third wife Miranda, who is from Bristol.
Coogan spoke to Rossi on Friday by Facetime for about five minutes and recognised him right away.
He added: “His demeanour, his talk, his mannerisms, that’s him. I asked him to take his glasses off and show the scar and his tattoo but he refused.
“He is doing what the gangsters and mobsters used to do in America.
“When they are under suspicion of serious crime they start acting crazy.
“Then disguise themselves and act like they are very sick and frail.”
Rossi is also accused of a rape in Utah and of attacking other women in Ohio, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He is also facing charges of identity theft and fraud.
He appeared at an extradition hearing Edinburgh Sheriff Court again on Thursday and complained about the number of police visits to his home and pleaded for his bail conditions to be less stringent
However the court was told he posed a significant flight risk.
Brian added: “He is planning his escape. He is going to take off. That is part of the scam.”
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