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Fugitive known as "master yachtsman" captured on sailboat after 21 years on the run
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Ronald L. Fischer, convicted of first-degree sexual assault and on Rhode Island's Most Wanted list, was arrested off the coast of New Jersey after more than 20 years as a fugitive.
- Fischer fled during his 2005 trial, having been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on his yacht in 2003, and was convicted in absentia for sexual assault, failure to appear, and flight to avoid prosecution.
- The arrest followed a rapid operation by the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force, FBI, Rhode Island State Police, and U.S. Marshals, who acted on a credible tip and located Fischer aboard a boat registered under an alias.
- Fischer was apprehended without incident about an hour off the New Jersey coast and is now in custody, with officials emphasizing that the arrest underscores that time does not erase accountability.
- U.S. Marshal Wing Chau highlighted the collaborative investigative efforts leading to Fischer's capture and expressed hope that the arrest brings justice and closure to the victim and others affected.
