A man arrested in a Scottish hospital last year is American fugitive Nicholas Rossi, a court has ruled.
The man claimed he was a victim of mistaken identity, and insisted his name was Arthur Knight.
But Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that his tattoos and fingerprints matched Rossi’s.
Authorities in the United States are seeking the extradition of the Russian on rape and sexual assault charges.
He is accused of faking his death and fleeing to Scotland to avoid prosecution.
He spent the last year insisting he was Arthur Knight, an orphan from Ireland who had never been to America.
He claimed he was given distinctive tattoos that matched Rossi’s arms while he lay unconscious in a Glasgow hospital in an attempt to frame him.
But after a three-day hearing, Sheriff Norman McFadyen said: “I am ultimately satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Mr. Knight is indeed Nicholas Rossi, the man the United States sought to extradite.”
Sheriff McFadyen dismissed claims that Rossi was a victim of mistaken identity as “inconceivable” and “fictitious” and said his repeated name changes were “highly suspicious” and “consistent with someone who which was hidden from anyone”.
He will now face an extradition hearing, when Scottish courts will decide whether to send him back to the US to stand trial on the charges against him.
Rossi was arrested by Police Scotland last year after staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital recognized his tattoo – images of which were circulated by Interpol – while he was receiving treatment for Covid.
Fingerprint expert Lisa Davidson told the court that prints taken from a man claiming to be Arthur Knight after his arrest were similar to those of Rossi, who were included in a US extradition request and an Interpol red notice.
But Rossi claimed the fingerprints were tampered with and taken from him by “Patrick,” an NHS worker, on behalf of Utah County Attorney David Levitt.
Solicitor depute Paul Harvey dismissed his claims as “completely outlandish” and “outlandish”.
Rassi’s tone also changed several times while testifying.
A series of preliminary hearings in the case saw Rossi fire at least six lawyers and claim they had been tortured in prison.
