A Rhode Island doctor who evaded a sexual assault trial for more than two decades has been arrested aboard a sailboat off the U.S. coast. Ronald L. Fischer, 70, was apprehended by U.S. Marshals on Thursday after new information led investigators to his vessel, named 'The Silver Lining,' near the New York-New Jersey coastline.
Agents intercepted the 56-foot sailboat about an hour offshore and took Fischer into custody without incident. He was arrested on a U.S. Marshals Service warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Fischer was then transported to Coast Guard Station Staten Island, New York, where he was transferred to local law enforcement. Officials stated that Fischer had been using the alias Richard Graydon, one of several he employed while evading authorities. Investigators also found books on evading law enforcement during a search of his residence and determined he had used an 'onion router' to hide his internet activity.
Fischer had been a fugitive since 2005, when he disappeared from Rhode Island during his trial for allegations of sexually assaulting Cheryl Gingerich, then 46. Gingerich testified that the assault occurred aboard Fischer's boat after they met online. In 2005, Fischer sent an email to his attorneys stating he was leaving the United States to establish a new life abroad, rather than face conviction.
Despite fleeing before his trial concluded, Fischer was convicted in absentia of first-degree sexual assault and remained wanted for failure to appear in court. Authorities had described him as a skilled sailor with international connections who utilized multiple aliases. He was featured multiple times on America's Most Wanted.
The arrest concluded one of Rhode Island's longest fugitive searches. "This arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability," said Wing Chau, the U.S. marshal 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."
Cheryl Gingerich told local media outlets that she was also celebrating Fischer's arrest, stating the incident had significantly impacted her life, leaving her fearful and forcing her to abandon her career. Fischer was arraigned in Manhattan on Friday, where he was remanded and waived extradition.