American criminal who fled from death in order to escape to Scotland. However, Covid foiled his attempts to cover his true identity. Covid claimed that he was a Panama-hat-wearing professor at Bristol University. 

Nicholas Alahverdian reportedly told neighbours that his name was ‘Arthur Knight’ –  an affable ‘academic’ with a penchant for a three-piece suit with a pocket square and an upper class British accent.

The 34-year-old was a regular at local bars, where he would be seen drinking expensive drams of single-malt whisky and bemoan Brexit, according to The Times. 

Alahverdian was made famous by the world after it was discovered that he had faked his own death in order to dodge prosecutions from the FBI for fraud and sex. 

He flew to Scotland and assumed the false identity of University of Glasgow professor.

After he had a severe case of Covid, he was taken by Interpol to the hospital.

He was freed on bail a few weeks later. On Thursday, he was arrested for failing to appear at an extradition hearing. New allegations regarding his personal life were also made. 

Today he is due to appear in court, under the name Nicholas Rossi, in Scotland. 

Nicholas Alahverdian (pictured in 2011) was arrested after fleeing the US for Scotland and faking his cancer death.

Nicholas Alahverdian reportedly told neighbours that his name was 'Arthur Knight' - an affable 'academic' at Glasgow University (pictured) with a penchant for a three-piece suit with a pocket square and an upper class British accent

Nicholas Alahverdian said to neighbours his name was Arthur Knight – an affable “academic” at Glasgow University.

Alahverdian’s friend Michael lived nearby the place where the escapee until yesterday. Michael said Alahverdian “Arthur” was an unmistakable name.

According to him, he described his experience as an eccentric and wealthy man from south England.

Arthur wore a panama cap and pinstriped shirts a lot. He had blonde highlights and a matchy blonde moustache. 

He had clearly done a lot to hide his look.

Suspected conman Nicholas Alahverdian, who also goes by Nicholas Rossi, is a registered sex offender. He was convicted of two sex-related crimes in 2008. His mugshot from the sex offenders' registry is pictured

Nicholas Alahverdian (also known as Nicholas Rossi) is an alleged conman and a registered sexual offender. In 2008, he was sentenced to two crimes related to sex. The mugshot he took from the registry of sex offenders is shown below. 

A neighbor said that he told them he worked at Glasgow University, and was writing a textbook on religious education for schools.  

“He fooled us all and we were shocked and disgusted when we found out who he actually was.”

Police Scotland stated in a statement that they had arrested a man aged 34 in Woodlands, Glasgow, on Thursday 20 January 2022, in connection to an arrest warrant.

“He is scheduled to appear at Edinburgh sheriff’s court today.”

It comes as one woman told police in the US that Alahverdian became ‘enraged’ after she rebuked his advances after a dinner date, according to police reports obtained by the Providence Journal.

He became angry when she refused to accept his advances, and demanded compensation for the dinner they had shared. 

He then drove her to an ATM near her and told her to withdraw $200.  The report stated that she gave in because she believed she could not resist giving the money to him, and was afraid of more violence.

Alahverdian made it worse for her when he ordered her to sign an agreement, which he videotaped. It stated that she could not file legal action against him and that the money she had given him was to treat her for her violence and sexual addiction.

Another accuser told police in July 2010 that Alahverdian lured her to his apartment under the guise that she’d be visiting his art studio. She claimed that Alahverdian took her cell phone, and then pressed her to have sex.

The Journal reports that Alahverdian told his wife, “If she leaves, he will kill himself by stabbing him in the chest with an knife.” Alahverdian was admitted to the hospital for a mental evaluation.

On November 11, police received a tip and returned to the apartment to find a woman suffering from injuries to her eyes. 

According to the cops, Alahverdian was angry at their guests who were crying more than usual that night. That led to a heated argument.

Alahverdian ‘grabbed her and knocked her to the ground and held her down’  and ‘slapped her on the facial area,’ the outlet reported.

The police were unable to arrest him, so they physically took him out the apartment and put him in the cruiser. He repeatedly hit his head on the metal bars while screaming “very loudly”

In an effort to encourage him to stop self harming, the officers peppersprayed him.

Alahverdian, who was violating a restraint order that his former wife had granted to him in 2011, received an arrest warrant.

DailyMail.com requested copies from Pawtucket Police of all arrest reports. The allegations against Alahverdian have not been proven.

After police started to close in on him for other frauds and sex crimes, he fled the country in 2020.  He published his own funeral obituary to try and cool down. It stated that he was a cancer victim and his ashes were scattered on the sea. 

One accuser told police that Alahverdian picked up the dinner tab during a date, but demanded to be repaid $200 after she refused his advances

Police were told by one accuser that Alahverdian had picked up dinner for her on a date and demanded $200 back after she rejected his advances. 

He faked his own death in 2000 and fled the country to evade sex and fraud allegations, and went as far as to pen and publish his own obituary

In 2000, he faked his death and fled the country in order to avoid fraud and sex allegations. He even wrote and published his own funeral notice.

This map shows the trail of havoc and alleged criminal behavior carried out by Nicholas Alahverdian across the US

This map depicts the trail of criminal and chaotic behavior that Nicholas Alahverdian has committed across the US. 

Following allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2008, he’s currently in the US and is being extradited. 

He could have been responsible for attacks similar to those in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Utah according to police.

In 2008, Alahverdian was also convicted of sexual imposition and public indecency in Dayton. Alahverdian claimed that the allegations stemmed from his masturbating in Sinclair Community College’s hallway. 

He was placed on the Ohio sex offender’s registry. His mugshot is still there.  

Numerous other sex attacks are suspected. He was also accused in a $200,000 fraud, after it is claimed that he took out Ohio credit cards and loans under his foster mother’s name. 

Alahverdian, who had been married for less than 2 years, divorced his second spouse in 2017. He is said to owe $52,000. Following the end of their marriage, Alahverdian was divorced by his second wife. 

Alahverdian is suspected of carrying out multiple sex attacks, and was accused of a $200,000 fraud after taking out credit cards and loans in his foster parentshusband's name in Ohio, it is alleged

Alahverdian, who is believed to have carried out multiple sex assaults, was charged with $200,000 fraud for taking out loans and credit cards in the name of his foster father in Ohio.

Alahverdian, a Rhode Island politician, claimed that he was an orphan and called for reforms to the state’s law. 

He told the story of a man from a troubled past who overcame difficulties to become a Harvard-educated Political Scientist. This was an amazing tale that amazed many people, including lawmakers.

As a young teenager, his cunning almost got him adopted by a representative of the state.

Brian Coogan was a former representative of the state. He previously stated that Alahverdian, a volunteer at Alahverdian’s state house, charmed him while he was a politician in 2000. 

DailyMail.com reported that Coogan was at first enamored of the troubled teenager – who said he had been sexually victimized and physically exploited in foster care. Coogan moved to make him a permanent family shortly after Alahverdian asked him to adopt him.

Coogan stated that Alahverdian threatened a social worker the day before he appeared in court to start adoption proceedings. 

Coogan was later reprimanded by a judge for manipulating his wife and trying to steal people’s identities.

Alahverdian faces extradition on charges relating to the rape and attack of Orem woman, Utah, which he had befriended via MySpace, said David Leavitt, Utah County District Attorney. 

Nicholas Alahverdian: Criminal Past 

Date undeterminedRegistering as a Rhode Island sex offender is a failure. Separate attack alleged in which he kidnapped, raped and assaulted another woman

Date undeterminedMassachusetts, Accused in Similar Abductions and Sexual Assaults    

2008After an “encounter” with another student at Sinclair Community College, Dayton, he was convicted of sexual assault in Ohio. His rape of an ex-girlfriend from Utah in September 2008 led to his arrest on December 20,21.   

November 2010,:  Arrested for allegedly assaulting girlfriend in his Rhode Island apartment after they quarreled over a guest’s crying child

December 2010, Police were called by a woman to report she had gone on a date with Alahverdian for dinner. However, she was unhappy after she turned down his offers. The man demanded $200 from her and then took her cell phone.

April 2011.  Alahverdian, who was in violation of a restraining or obtained by his ex-wife, was placed under arrest 

2017Fraud in Ohio Alahverdian, a former foster mother in the same state was accused of committing a $200,000 fraud that saw him take out loans and credit cards in her husband’s name. 

February 2020: Fakes his own death of lymphoma, with unnamed ‘widow’ claiming  Alahverdian had been buried at sea. In July, DNA links him to 2008 sex attack in Orem, Utah – the charge which ultimately led to his discovery in Scotland

December 2021: Intubated with COVID and arrested at a hospital in Glasgow (Scotland) on suspicion of a Utah sex attack

January 2022Alahverdian will be returned to the US and is likely to face additional fraud charges.