Captured ‘America’s Most Wanted’ fugitive Ronald Fischer abandons alias after 20 years on the run
After more than 20 years on the run, an "America's Most Wanted" fugitive who disappeared in the middle of his sexual assault trial stood before a Rhode Island judge this week under his real name for the first time since fleeing justice.
Ronald Fischer, 70, identified himself by his real name during a hearing in Newport Superior Court, where a judge canceled an outstanding warrant tied to his alleged failure to appear for trial in April 2005, arraigned him on a bail-jumping charge and set bail at $20,000 surety.
Fischer was arrested earlier this month aboard the 56-foot sailboat "Silver Lining" off the coast of New Jersey after investigators received a credible tip about his whereabouts.
'AMERICA'S MOST WANTED' FUGITIVE CAPTURED ON SAILBOAT OFF NJ COAST AFTER 20 YEARS ON THE RUN
During Monday's hearing, Fischer appeared without an attorney as the court discussed appointing counsel.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 17.
Authorities said Fischer had been living under the alias "Dr. Richard Graydon" while eluding capture for more than 20 years.
Fischer disappeared during his 2005 sexual assault trial in Rhode Island, where he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman aboard his boat at a Portsmouth marina in 2003. He was later convicted in absentia and remained one of the state's most wanted fugitives, appearing multiple times on "America's Most Wanted."
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An affidavit previously obtained by Fox News Digital details how investigators believe Fischer meticulously planned his disappearance before vanishing.
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Investigators wrote that Fischer emailed his attorney on April 23, 2005, saying he intended to flee the country rather than risk a conviction. Later that evening, they said he called each of his daughters and told them he was leaving the United States.
According to the affidavit, Fischer contacted a New York travel agency before purchasing an American Airlines ticket from Boston to London, only to cancel the reservation before boarding the flight.
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Surveillance cameras later captured him returning a rental car to an Enterprise location in Boston shortly after midnight before walking away carrying two travel bags.
Investigators also determined Fischer spent the days before his disappearance putting his affairs in order by transferring vehicles to his daughters, instructing them to remove their belongings from his home and disposing of a Jaguar before vanishing.
The affidavit also alleges Fischer emailed attorney Robert Mann explaining he had decided not to risk being convicted in Rhode Island and instead planned to leave the country to pursue what he described as "a good, safe, secure and comfortable life."
Fischer now faces sentencing in the sexual assault case, a felony bail-jumping charge and a pending federal charge alleging unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
The U.S. Marshals Service credited a multi-agency investigation and a public tip with leading investigators to Fischer's capture, ending what it described as one of Rhode Island's longest-running fugitive cases.
