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Ronald L. Fischer, a former Rhode Island anesthesiologist who spent more than two decades on the run after fleeing during his child sexual assault trial, was captured aboard a sailboat off the coast of New Jersey after an online sleuth’s tip helped investigators track him down, according to the FBI.
Fischer, one of Rhode Island’s longest-wanted fugitives, had been on the run since fleeing the state during his 2005 sexual assault trial. He never returned to court, and a jury later convicted him of first-degree sexual assault in his absence, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Authorities searched for him for more than 20 years.
Investigators tracked Fischer to New York, where they found he was operating a 56-foot sailboat named The Silver Lining, which authorities said was registered under the alias “Richard Graydon.”
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Deputy U.S. marshals, FBI agents and U.S. Coast Guard personnel intercepted the vessel off the coast of New Jersey before taking Fischer into custody without incident, according to the FBI Boston Division.
FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks said the breakthrough came after investigators received “a tip from an online sleuth,” which led them to the sailboat registered under Fischer’s alias, Robert Graydon.
“Ronald Fischer thought he had escaped justice but thanks to a tip from an online sleuth, the FBI was able to develop new intelligence which led investigators to the boat belonging to Fischer under his alias Robert Graydon,” Docks said. “That’s when the FBI and the RI Violent Fugitive Task Force coordinated a multi-state law enforcement operation that resulted in Fischer’s capture. This is truly a testament to our strong law enforcement partnerships that allow for the seamless sharing of intelligence in real-time to take violent criminals off our streets.”
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Fischer was transported aboard a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to Coast Guard Station Staten Island, where he was turned over to deputy U.S. marshals and local law enforcement officials.
“This arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability,” U.S. Marshal Wing Chau for the District of Rhode Island said in a statement.
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“For more than twenty years, Ronald Fischer believed he had successfully escaped justice,” Chau continued. “The men and women of the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force, together with our partners, remained committed to ensuring that day would eventually come.”
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Rhode Island State Police said Fischer’s arrest brought an end to one of the state’s longest-running fugitive investigations, crediting generations of investigators who continued pursuing the case over the past two decades.
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“We are proud of the persistent, coordinated work that brought him to justice and the numerous Troopers, both currently serving and retired, who pursued this case for the last two decades,” Rhode Island State Police said in a statement. “They never stopped seeking justice for his victim and we are thankful for their dedication.”
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The arrest capped an intensive multi-state investigation led by the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force with assistance from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police and numerous federal, state and local agencies.
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Authorities credited FBI special agents and intelligence analysts with helping locate Fischer after more than two decades on the run.
The U.S. Marshals Service said Fischer had been living under the alias “Richard Graydon” before coordinating with federal, state and local partners to arrest him.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Rhode Island State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard for additional details about Fischer’s life as a fugitive, the investigation that led to his capture and whether photos or video of the arrest will be released.
