Nicholas Alahverdian, an American fugitive accused of faking his own death to avoid a rape charge in Utah, has been ruled eligible for extradition to the U.S. by a judge in Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Despite Alahverdian's claims of mistaken identity and insistence that he was an Irish orphan, Judge Norman McFadyen found his claims to be "implausible" and "fanciful." Alahverdian's lawyers argued that he should not be extradited due to his poor health, but the judge ruled that his health was not a factor in his decision. Alahverdian is now expected to be extradited to the U.S. to face the charges against him.
