Ronald L. Fischer, a former anesthesiologist and one of Rhode Island's longest-wanted fugitives, has been apprehended off the coast of New Jersey after more than two decades on the run. Fischer fled the state in 2005 during his sexual assault trial and was convicted in absentia for first-degree sexual assault.
The U.S. Marshals Service said Fischer had been living under the alias "Richard Graydon" aboard a 56-foot sailboat named The Silver Lining. Authorities tracked him to New York, where they discovered his maritime escape plan.
Deputy U.S. marshals, FBI agents, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel intercepted the vessel off the New Jersey coast and took Fischer into custody without incident. The arrest was the culmination of a multi-state law enforcement operation involving the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force and FBI agents, according to the FBI Boston field office.
"This arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability," stated U.S. Marshal Wing Chau for the District of Rhode Island. "For more than twenty years, Ronald Fischer believed he had successfully escaped justice. The men and women of the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force, together with our partners, remained committed to ensuring that day would eventually come."
The Rhode Island State Police credited "generations of investigators" who pursued the case over the past 20 years, stating, "They never stopped seeking justice for his victim and we are thankful for their dedication."
Fischer was transported to Coast Guard Station Staten Island, where he was turned over to deputy U.S. marshals and local law enforcement officials. The U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Coast Guard collaborated on the intensive investigation that led to his capture.