A fugitive sex offender, who evaded capture for 21 years by assuming a new identity, has been apprehended off the coast of New Jersey. Ronald L. Fischer, also known as Richard Graydon, lived a seemingly successful life in Los Angeles as a biopharmaceutical executive and yacht owner while wanted for rape in Rhode Island.
Fischer had been a fugitive since fleeing during his 2005 trial for first-degree sexual assault, for which he was convicted in absentia. Authorities state he used more than a dozen aliases throughout his two decades on the run. His elaborate deception included cultivating a persona as a master yachtsman and world traveler, even owning a 56-foot yacht named Silver Lining.
Federal authorities, including the U.S. Marshals Service and the District of Rhode Island's U.S. Attorney's Office, successfully tracked Fischer to his yacht. He was taken into custody by a federal task force and the U.S. Coast Guard. "You can run, but you cannot hide from justice," stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles C. Calenda. "Ronald Fischer will now return to Rhode Island to face the consequences he sought to evade for more than 20 years."
The victim, Cheryl Gingrich, who experienced trauma from the assault and Fischer's subsequent evasion of justice, expressed her relief. "He sat very casually at the desk with his attorney in a very casual position, just staring at me and with a kind of smug look on his face," she told WRAL News, recalling their last encounter in court. "And now I’ll be able to do the same to him."
Fischer's capture has raised questions regarding Immix Biopharma, the Los Angeles-based company where he worked under the alias Richard Graydon. The company disclosed his termination on July 17 for reasons unrelated to his activities at Immix, though a law firm representing investors has launched an inquiry into potential breaches of federal securities laws related to the company's hiring practices.
