A former doctor accused of raping multiple women on luxury boats has been captured after more than two decades as a fugitive — undone, investigators say, by a remarkably simple mistake.
Ronald Fischer vanished in 2005 while he was on trial over the assault of Cheryl Gingerich, a college professor and mother of four.
According to court testimony reviewed by the Boston Globe, Fischer, who was 47 at the time, invited Gingerich onto his sailboat, the Lion King, during a date, claiming he wanted her help cleaning it. Once aboard, prosecutors said, he pushed her onto a bed and raped her.
Fischer, a former anesthesiologist, was waiting for the jury’s verdict when he fled. Before disappearing, he told his daughters he planned to leave the country. He was later convicted in absentia, but because authorities could not locate him, he was never sentenced.
When investigators searched his home in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, they uncovered a cache of documents outlining plans to assume new identities and avoid arrest.
After years off the radar, Fischer was arrested last month while living openly under the name Richard Graydon, presenting himself as an accomplished sailor at the Liberty Yacht Club in New Jersey.
Authorities believe Fischer’s attempt to rebuild a version of his old life ultimately exposed him, particularly after he landed a high-profile role at the pharmaceutical company Immix Biopharma.
The company published a photo announcing him as its new chief medical officer — a public move that led to a tip to the FBI and, eventually, his arrest.
Fugitive ex-doctor Ronald Fischer was captured after 20 years on the run after he disappeared amid his rape trial in Rhode Island
He was found guilty in absentia of attacking Cheryl Gingerich aboard his luxury boat in 2003. Gingerich has since spoken about her relief that he is finally behind bars
Fischer, center, was leading a new life in New York City which included becoming a member of the Liberty Yacht Club in New Jersey
The agency alerted local law enforcement and officers intercepted him aboard his $1.4 million custom-built boat the Silver Lining, under the guise of a routine stop by the Coast Guard.
Now aged 70, Fischer appeared in court last week without an attorney where a judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf regarding a bail-jumping charge, the Boston Globe reports.
He was remanded in custody after being deemed a flight risk.
‘I was happy to think when I woke up, I thought, I slept last night in my bed and Ronald Fischer slept last night in a jail,’ Gingerich told NBC 10. ‘That made me, I’m sorry to say it, but truthfully it made me happy.’
Elden DaSilva, supervisory deputy US marshal for the District of Rhode Island, told the Globe: ‘People return to their passions and their behaviors when they feel it’s safe to do so and that’s what he did.’
Fischer’s capture ended two decades as a fugitive. His fall from grace began back in 1994, when Fischer was accused of a separate rape of a woman aboard another boat called the Dreammaker.
The 25-year-old alleged victim told the police she had met Fischer for a date aboard the vessel in Quincy Bay, which quickly spiraled when she refused to have sex with him, court records show.
The woman claimed Fischer choked her into submission before pulling her jeans off and raping her.
Fischer was found guilty in absentia of raping college professor and mom-of-four Elizabeth Gingerich in 2003
He was detained aboard his custom-built $1.4 million yacht Silver Lining last month
She told investigators that he eventually allowed her to go above deck after she promised she would not fight back any more and she took her opportunity to escape. The alleged victim then ran naked to a nearby boat where the occupants dialed 911, according to court testimony.
Fischer ultimately saw the charges downgraded and pleaded guilty to assault and battery at his trial in 1996, after the woman declined to testify. He did not end up serving any jail time.
Several years later, another woman claimed she was raped by a man going by the name ‘Kevin’ aboard his boat, the Lion King following a date at a marina bar in Newport, Rhode Island.
The alleged victim told the Boston Globe she now recognizes the man from the assault as Fischer using an alias.
However, it was not until 2003 when Fischer was accused of raping Gingerich that he wound up in court.
Fearing the outcome of the trial, Fischer packed up his things and fled his old life. He was found guilty of the attack in absentia after failing to turn up to his trial in Newport.
He had his medical license revoked in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Investigators searching for Fischer noted that he had purchased a flight to London before his disappearance which he then canceled. His ex-wife also told the authorities Fischer had friends in Brazil.
However, in the years between his conviction and his arrest last month, Fischer had taken up a new identity as Richard Graydon, at one point living in New York City.
Fischer was a regular fixture at the yacht club’s social events despite his fugitive status
He obtained a lucrative position as chief medical officer at a biotech company which ultimately led to his capture after the company published a press release hailing their new hire
Following a stint with a failed weight loss company, Fischer fabricated his resume to convince prospective employers he was a board-certified hematologist-oncologist, which enabled him to secure a lucrative career in the biotech industry, the Boston Globe reports.
He became a member of the volunteer-run Liberty Yacht Club where he entered races and was pictured at various social events.
This included a gala in April of this year, where Fischer was snapped beaming at the camera.
But despite his impunity, cracks were beginning to show in Fischer’s facade.
Members of his crew have since told the Boston Globe that he was known for having an explosive temper and could often be heard shouting at his team so aggressively it was audible from nearby vessels.
Paul Elkouss, a crew member aboard the Silver Lining in 2024 and 2025, told the outlet that Fischer’s temper and poor management ultimately hindered any of his delusions of being a successful yachtsman.
Fischer’s web of lies finally collapsed after he stepped into the role of chief medical officer with Los Angeles firm Immix Biopharma.
Immix then published Fischer’s headshot online, which prompted the FBI tip off.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission seen by the Daily Mail, Immix said: ‘Richard Graydon has been terminated and is no longer with the Company for reasons unrelated to his activities at the Company.
‘Given his short tenure, management believes there is no material effect on the business.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Immix for comment.
