A man convicted of sexual assault and wanted in Rhode Island for over two decades was arrested aboard a sailboat off the New Jersey coast. Ronald L. Fischer had fled during his 2005 trial and lived under an alias as a world traveler.
Ronald L. Fischer was taken into custody without incident after authorities intercepted his 56-foot boat, The Silver Lining, about an hour off the New Jersey coast. The vessel was registered under the alias Richard Graydon.
Fischer had been convicted in absentia on charges of first-degree sexual assault, failure to appear, and flight to avoid prosecution. He was accused of assaulting a woman on his yacht in 2003 and fled Rhode Island during his trial two years later.
The Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force received a credible tip this week that led agents to New York. They coordinated with the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, and U.S. Marshals to locate and arrest him during a swift 48-hour operation.
U.S. Marshal Wing Chau said the arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability. He credited the work of multiple agencies for bringing Fischer into custody and providing closure to the victim.
