Fingerprint evidence will on Monday disprove bizarre claims by American sex offender Nicholas Rossi that police have the wrong man. The 35-year-old, who claims he is an Irishman called Arthur Knight, will face the start of a four-day extradition hearing.
The Sunday Mail has seen US court documents filed in the state of Utah which finally disprove his wild claims. They show how the “defendant was fingerprinted in Scotland which provided his real identity”.
That identity will be the first thing dealt with by the sheriff at tomorrow’s hearing in Edinburgh Sheriff Court. US authorities want to prosecute him on two rapes and one sex assault charge.
Rossi, previously convicted of sex offences in the US, claims to need a wheelchair and constant oxygen.
He’s also been dumped by his US lawyer, Craig Johnson.
The lawyer has severed ties with Rossi over a tweet in which he claimed a Utah County sheriff had told him the state’s county attorney David Leavitt and his wife were involved in a sex ring which was “cannibalizing young children”.
Johnson said: “After he outed Utah County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Spencer Cannon in a viral tweet, I could no longer trust his judgment or credibility. I have known Sergeant Cannon for 20 years and trust him implicitly.”
Johnson said he had “fired” Rossi. His new lawyer, Lance Bastian, declined to comment.
Rossi has so far run up nearly £2000 in Legal Aid payments in Scotland.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board said his team has received £851 defending him when he was fined £400 for jumping out of his wheelchair to run at and verbally abuse two medical staff in Glasgow. His extradition case has seen £953 paid.
A legal source said: “Identity will be the first issue to be resolved. It’s not clear where he goes from there.”
Rhode Island-born Rossi fled to the UK in 2017 and faked his own death. He went on to wed Miranda Knight, 41, and the pair moved to Glasgow. Police caught up with him when he was ill with Covid.
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