‘Master yachtsman’ who fled 2005 trial for sexual assault arrested off US coast

A “master yachtsman” who went on the run for more than two decades after fleeing a sexual assault trial in Rhode Island which resulted in his conviction despite his absence was captured on Thursday on a sailboat off New Jersey’s coast, according to authorities.

Ronald L Fischer, 70, had been considered one of Rhode Island’s most wanted fugitives before his arrest, state police officials said in a statement on social media. And his case had been mentioned repeatedly over the years on the true-crime television program America’s Most Wanted.

As the Rhode Island news outlet WPRI reported, Fischer was being tried in the state on a charge of first-degree sexual assault in 2005 when he notified his attorney through an email that he was leaving the US.

“Although I believe my trial has gone very well, and expect to be acquitted and dismissed, the small chance of losing could carry extremely and unacceptably harsh penalties,” Fischer’s email said, according to WPRI. “I have therefore decided not to take the risk and to leave the US and enjoy life in another country where I have long been carefully planning a good, safe, secure and comfortable life.”

Fischer was subsequently found guilty in absentia of having sexually assaulted a woman on his yacht in 2003. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment, with parole eligibility after 25 years, before landing on Rhode Island’s list of most wanted fugitives.

The list database described Fischer as a “master yachtsman” and “world traveler” from the Rhode Island town of East Greenwich who was well connected. That database also showed at least 17 aliases for him.

Investigators more recently determined Fischer was operating a 56ft sailing vessel named the Silver Lining under a previously unlisted alias for him: Richard Graydon. State police said their agency then worked with a team of federal law enforcement authorities to intercept the Silver Lining on Thursday about an hour off of New Jersey’s coast.

Fischer was on board and surrendered without resisting when confronted, said a statement from the US marshals service, which specializes in capturing fugitives and participated in Thursday’s arrest.

The US marshals’ statement added that the “newly developed investigative leads regarding Fischer’s whereabouts” had come in only about two days earlier. That information “was rapidly analyzed and determined to be credible and actionable, ultimately leading investigators” to Fischer, the statement said.

Beside serving his sentence for his sexual assault conviction, Fischer faces federal and state charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and failure to appear in court.

A statement attributed to the Rhode Island US marshal, Wing Chau, said Fischer’s arrest “demonstrates that time does not erase accountability”.

“For more than 20 years, Ronald Fischer believed he had successfully escaped justice,” Chau’s statement said. But “thanks to outstanding investigative work, exceptional intelligence analysis and seamless coordination between agencies, Fischer is finally in custody.

“We hope [Fischer’s] arrest brings a measure of justice and long-awaited closure to the victim and everyone [affected] by these crimes.”