Fugitive Doctor Posed as Biotech Executive for 20 Years
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- Ronald Fischer, 70, a former anesthesiologist and one of Rhode Island's most-wanted fugitives, was arrested last week by federal and Rhode Island authorities who tracked and boarded his 56-foot sailboat off the coast of New Jersey.
- Fischer had evaded capture for 20 years, disappearing in 2005 while on trial for first-degree sexual assault.
- The sailboat was registered under "Richard Graydon," an alias U.S. Marshals say Fischer used — and "Richard Graydon" is also the name of a doctor and seasoned drug development executive.
- Immix Biopharma, a Los Angeles-based biotech company, hired a doctor named Richard Graydon as its new chief medical officer in March, matching the alias Fischer is accused of using.
Why it matters: Immix Biopharma hired someone using Fischer's alias as chief medical officer in March, meaning a public biotech firm apparently harbored a 20-year fugitive from first-degree sexual assault charges. The discovery turns scrutiny on how thoroughly drug development firms vet senior hires.
