Ronald L. Fisher was taken into custody by US Marshals. (Photo: FBI Boston)
A man who spent more than two decades evading US authorities after fleeing during his criminal trial has been arrested on a sailboat off the coast of New York.Ronald L. was taken into custody. Fisher, 70, was arrested by U.S. Marshals after investigators tracked him to a 56-foot sailing vessel during a multi-agency operation involving the FBI and U.S. Coast Guard.According to the New York Post, authorities intercepted the boat about an hour offshore and arrested Fisher without resistance.
He escaped before the trial ended
Fisher disappeared from Rhode Island in 2005 while on trial for sexually assaulting a woman on his yacht two years earlier. Despite his absence, the court continued hearing the case and convicted him in absentia of first-degree sexual assault.Before his escape, Fisher told his lawyer in an email that although he believed he would be acquitted, he was not willing to risk conviction and had decided to leave the United States to start a new life abroad, the New York Times reported.He remains wanted on charges including first-degree sexual assault, failure to appear and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, investigators said.
He lived under assumed names
Officials said Fisher, a former anesthesiologist and experienced sailor, used more than a dozen aliases while on the run. The schooner he operated, The Silver Lining, was registered under the name “Richard Graydon”, one of the identities associated with him.
This breakthrough came after authorities developed new intelligence about Fisher’s whereabouts within a 48-hour period.The Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force worked alongside the FBI, the US Marshals Service’s New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Southern District of New York and the US Coast Guard to locate and intercept the vessel.
appeared on television”America’s Most Wanted ‘
During his years on the run, Fisher’s case was featured several times on the television show America’s Most Wanted, which profiles wanted criminals in an effort to obtain public information.US Marshal for the District of Rhode Island Wing Chow said the arrest reflects law enforcement’s long-standing commitment to tracking down fugitives.“This arrest shows that time does not erase accountability,” Zhao said, adding that authorities hope the arrest will bring long-awaited closure for the victim and others affected by the case.
What will happen next?
After the arrest, Fisher was transported to Staten Island before being transferred to Manhattan.Authorities are now expected to determine whether he will first face federal proceedings related to his alleged escape from prosecution or undergo extradition proceedings before being returned to Rhode Island.Officials said the investigation is still ongoing.
