…Researched and contributed by Lola Smith for TDPel Media.
The US authorities are seeking to extradite a man named Nicholas Rossi, who allegedly faked his death and moved to the UK after committing sex offenses and fraud in several US states.
However, a man named Arthur Knight, who looks identical to Rossi and has the same tattoos, claims he is an innocent British-born man.
In a bizarre interview with US TV show Dateline, Knight, whose voice was muffled by an oxygen mask, tearfully insisted that he was not Rossi.
He was accompanied by his British wife, Miranda, and demonstrated his inability to walk by attempting to stand up from his wheelchair before collapsing theatrically.
Rossi is accused of committing sex offenses in several US states and major fraud.
He owes $52,000 (£42,000) to his ex-wife.
While being treated for Covid-19 at a Glasgow hospital, staff there had concerns about Knight’s true identity and realized that his description matched that of the wanted Rossi.
Knight maintains that the distinctive tattoos that enabled police to identify him had been added by hospital staff while he was unconscious.
Arthur Knight is fighting extradition to the US to face the charges.
He claims that the severe case of Long Covid has left him dependent on an oxygen tank.
He was arrested in December 2021 while being treated for Covid-19 at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
Commentary:
This strange case raises questions about identity and the difficulties of proving or disproving it.
The fact that Knight looks identical to Rossi and has the same tattoos has made the authorities’ job even more complicated.
Moreover, Knight’s claim that the hospital staff added the tattoos while he was unconscious is quite unusual.
The case also highlights the importance of extradition agreements between countries and how they can be used to bring criminals to justice.