One of the most-wanted fugitives in Rhode Island who had spent more than 20 years running from law enforcement was caught off the coast of New York and New Jersey, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Dr. Ronald Fischer was wanted for allegedly raping a woman in 2003 on his boat, named “Lion King,” investigators said. He fled the Ocean State during his criminal trial in 2005, but was convicted in absentia of first-degree sexual assault. Since then, Fischer was also wanted for failing to appear and flight to avoid prosecution.
Over a two-day span since Tuesday, U.S. Marshals working alongside the FBI and Rhode Island police pursued new leads into Fischer’s whereabouts, leading investigators to New York.
U.S. Marshals and the Coast Guard said Fischer was caught on a 56-foot sailboat named “The Silver Lining” about an hour from the New York/New Jersey coastline. The boat was registered under the name Richard Graydon, an alias used by Fischer, the Marshals Service said.
He was taken into custody by the Coast Guard and was being held in Manhattan after being transferred to U.S. Marshals, law enforcement said.
“This arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability,” said Wing Chau, U.S. Marshal for the District of Rhode Island. “For more than twenty years, Ronald Fischer believed he had successfully escaped justice…Thanks to outstanding investigative work, exceptional intelligence analysis, and seamless coordination between agencies, Fischer is finally in custody.”
Officials were trying to determine whether he should appear in federal court for absconding, or if he should appear in New York state court to face extradition back to Rhode Island, a senior official said.