A man who remained on Rhode Island’s most-wanted fugitives list for nearly 20 years has been arrested at sea, bringing a long-running manhunt to an end.
Ronald Fischer, a former physician, was convicted in connection with the 2003 rape of Cheryl Gingrich on his boat, but disappeared in 2005 while he was facing trial in the Newport case.
Authorities said Fischer was apprehended Thursday after US Marshals and the Coast Guard tracked him to a sailboat off the New Jersey coast.
According to the US Marshals Service, investigators found that Fischer had been operating a 56-foot sailing vessel called The Silver Lining, which was registered to “Richard Graydon” — an alias officials say he used while on the run.
Deputy US Marshals, working alongside Coast Guard personnel aboard a 45-foot response boat, located and stopped the vessel roughly an hour offshore, the agency said.
Officials said Fischer was arrested without incident. He was first taken to Staten Island, then handed over to US Marshals and local law enforcement authorities.
During his years as a fugitive, Fischer was believed to have relied on multiple aliases and false identities to avoid capture, NBC 10 WJAR reported.
Fischer also had a documented history of violence. Before the attack on Gingrich, he pleaded guilty to assaulting another woman — a conviction that led to the loss of his medical license.
Fischer was caught Thursday by US Marshals and the Coast Guard aboard a sailboat off the coast of New Jersey
Cheryl Gingrich was assaulted aboard Fischer’s boat in 2003
He raped Gingrich aboard his boat, The Lion King, in 2003 after the two met through an online dating ad.
His profile falsely claimed he was a physician and he shaved seven years off his age.
In her statement to police at the time, Gingrich recalled thinking: ‘All I could think was, “I’m alone at the bottom of this boat, and no one will hear me if I scream.”‘
Gingrich spoke to the outlet in 2025, saying the incident ‘changed the whole trajectory of her life’ and that she later received treatment for PTSD.
The victim described Fischer as an egotist and narcissist, saying he was ‘all about money and living a rich lifestyle.’
Retired Portsmouth police detective AJ Bucci called Fischer a ‘chameleon,’ saying he tried to appear as the kind of person who seemed like ‘a good catch.’
During his trial, Fischer emailed his lawyers shortly before closing arguments.
‘Although I believe my trial has gone very well, and expect to be acquitted and dismissed, the small chance of losing could carry extremely and unacceptably harsh penalties,’ Fischer wrote, per the outlet.
‘I have therefore decided not to take the risk and to leave the US and enjoy life in another country where I have long been carefully planning a good, safe, secure and comfortable life.’
The two met through an online dating ad
Fischer has been on the run for decades. During his trial, Fischer sent his lawyers a goodbye email shortly before closing arguments
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The jury convicted Fischer despite his absence from the courtroom. Gingrich said his escape made her lose faith in the justice system.
Rhode Island State Police described Fischer as a ‘master yachtsman’ and an internationally connected world traveler when they added him to their most-wanted list.
‘This arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability,’ said Wing Chau, US Marshal for the District of Rhode Island.
‘We hope today’s arrest brings a measure of justice and long-awaited closure to the victim and everyone impacted by these crimes.’
