• Nicholas Rossi found guilty of raping a former girlfriend in Utah.
• Rossi faked his death to evade prosecution but was arrested in Scotland.
• His trial featured testimony from the victim and her parents.
• He faces a second trial next month for another rape charge.
• Potential sentencing ranges from five years to life in prison.

A Rhode Island man, Nicholas Rossi, accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to evade rape charges, was found guilty on Wednesday of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend in 2008. A jury in Salt Lake County reached the verdict after a three-day trial, where Rossi, 38, declined to testify. His sentencing is scheduled for October 20, and he will stand trial next month for an additional rape charge in Utah County, according to CBS News and South China Morning Post.

The conviction stems from a case where prosecutors described Rossi as a manipulative man who preyed on a vulnerable young woman living with her parents while recovering from a traumatic brain injury. During their short engagement, Rossi reportedly asked her to cover various expenses and later raped her when she had driven him home after a visit, according to legal representations from Los Angeles Times and CBS News.

Rossi's legal troubles began in 2018 when he was identified through a decade-old DNA evidence linked to his name. After being charged with rape, a false obituary claimed he had died, leading investigators to confirm he was alive. He was arrested in Scotland in 2021 after hospital staff recognized his tattoos from Interpol notices, according to South China Morning Post and Los Angeles Times.

The victim testified about the manipulation and financial coercion she endured during their relationship, stating that she felt powerless to go to the police at the time of the assault due to her parents' dismissive attitude. Ten years later, upon discovering Rossi's subsequent allegations, she decided to speak out, as noted by CBS News and Los Angeles Times.

Defense attorneys attempted to challenge her credibility, arguing that the victim's motivations were driven by resentment towards Rossi for their past relationship. However, the prosecution maintained that her testimony was crucial in holding him accountable for his actions, according to South China Morning Post and Los Angeles Times.

Following his extradition to Utah, Rossi claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, asserting that he was being wrongfully accused. Authorities also revealed he had multiple aliases over the years to elude capture, illustrating a complex history of evasion and deception, highlighted by CBS News and South China Morning Post.