Ronald L. Fischer was captured off the coast of New Jersey after fleeing his sexual assault trial for more than 20 years.
Ronald L. Fischer, a former anesthesiologist and one of Rhode Island’s most wanted fugitives, was arrested on Thursday after spending over two decades on the run. The 70-year-old "master yachtsman" fled during his 2005 trial for first-degree sexual assault, notifying his attorney that he intended to avoid the risk of a harsh penalty by living abroad. He was subsequently convicted in absentia. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force, located Fischer aboard a 56-foot sailboat named The Silver Lining. He was operating the vessel under the alias Richard Graydon when authorities intercepted him about an hour off the New Jersey coast. Fischer surrendered without resistance and is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals. Wing Chau, the U.S. Marshal for the District of Rhode Island, stated that the arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability. The capture provides long-awaited closure for the victim and concludes one of the state's longest-running fugitive investigations.