Ronald L. Fischer, a former anesthesiologist, was captured aboard a sailboat off the coast of New Jersey after being a fugitive for over 20 years. Fischer had fled Rhode Island during his 2005 sexual assault trial and was later convicted in absentia of first-degree sexual assault, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Authorities had been searching for him since his disappearance.
Investigators traced Fischer to New York, where he was found operating a 56-foot sailboat named The Silver Lining, registered under the alias 'Richard Graydon.' Deputy U.S. marshals, FBI agents, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel intercepted the vessel and took Fischer into custody without incident.
The FBI Boston field office stated that the arrest was the result of a multi-state law enforcement operation involving the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force. Fischer was transported to Coast Guard Station Staten Island and subsequently handed over to deputy U.S. marshals and local law enforcement.
U.S. Marshal Wing Chau commented that the arrest shows that accountability does not diminish over time. Rhode Island State Police noted that Fischer's capture concluded one of the state's longest-running fugitive investigations, praising the dedication of investigators over the years.