An arrest warrant has been issued for an American fugitive who is believed to have faked his own death before turning up at a Glasgow hospital.
Nicholas Rossi was arrested at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital last month while receiving treatment for Covid-19 after medical staff were shown pictures of him.
The 34-year-old, who is wanted in Utah in the US on rape and fraud charges, later received bail and was living in Glasgow.
A bail review on his case was heard at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday.
Fiscal depute Clare Kennedy said the Crown was seeking a warrant for Rossi as he was deemed a “flight risk”.
The court was told Rossi was not in attendance as he was still unwell.
Sheriff Alistair Noble granted the warrant and Police Scotland have now been tasked with bringing Rossi into custody.
It’s understood Rossi has told authorities he doesn’t have a passport.
Rossi, who is known by various names and is said to have faked his own death to avoid prosecution, was traced to the intensive care unit at the Glasgow hospital where he was on a ventilator.
Rossi, who was using the alias Arthur Knight, was wanted by Interpol.
His fingerprints and DNA were taken with the details passed to Interpol officials.
He was arrested at the hospital by Police Scotland on December 13 last year under an international arrest warrant on behalf of colleagues in Utah.
He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court via video link from the hospital that day and faces being sent back to America.
Authorities in the US confirmed Rossi was also known as Nicholas Alahverdian in the state of Rhode Island where he was reportedly involved in local politics and was a critic of the state’s child welfare system.
Rossi reportedly told US media in December 2019 that he had late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had weeks to live. Several outlets reported that he had died in February 2020.
David Leavitt, Utah County Attorney, previously said he was confident that Rossi’s bail conditions would be closely monitored by police.
He said: “Ultimately, the decision regarding bail is left to the international courts until Mr Rossi is extradited to the United States.”
US prosecutors said Rossi was wanted in connection with the 2008 rape of a woman after a sexual assault kit was re-examined.
They added: “As part of the extradition process, DNA and fingerprints were provided to Interpol as part of supporting evidence for extradition.
“The individual formerly known as Arthur Knight (Nicholas Rossi/Nicholas Alahverdian) was arrested by the Scotland authorities on December 13, 2021.
“We have been working with our federal and international partners to provide the information regarding Mr Rossi’s flight risk.”
The prosecutor’s office said that while they could not go into specific details about how Rossi’s hiding place was uncovered, they said it was due to “diligent investigative efforts”.
The suspect is said to have previously used the names Nicholas Alahverdian, Nick Alan, Nicholas Brown, Arthur Brown and Arthur Knight.
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