Jonathan Roth Update: Son of NY man who faked his own death captured in Ohio, held without bail
(CBS) MINEOLA, N.Y. - Jonathan Roth, a 23-year-old man who admitted helping his father fake his drowning at a New York beach in a life insurance scam, is being held without bail after being captured in Ohio.
Roth appeared Friday in New York's Nassau County Court. He was captured Thursday by a bail bonds company on an arrest warrant.
Authorities say Roth failed to appear for his scheduled sentencing last week in the insurance case. He was reportedly expected to receive no jail time.
CBS New York reports Roth wore an orange jail jumpsuit and did not say a word as he was brought into court Friday morning.
Michelle Esquenazi with Empire Bail Bonds told the station "a certain amount of trickery" was used in capturing Roth.
"He was very shocked. He was very surprised that we found him," she said.
Following his court appearance Friday, Roth told reporters, "I never tried to run." He said he didn't have enough money to come to New York.
"I'm extremely sorry for all this," he said as he was being led away in handcuffs.
Court documents show Roth has several warrants pending for unrelated harassment charges involving a girlfriend.
Roth had been expected to receive no jail time in the insurance case after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges because he had assisted prosecutors in the case against his father, Raymond Roth.
"People make mistakes, particularly when they're young," the younger Roth's attorney, Joey Jackson, said outside court on Friday, reports the station.
Prosecutors said the two conspired to collect at least $410,000 in life insurance after Raymond Roth was reported missing by his son in a frantic 911 call in July of last year, saying his father had disappeared in the waters off Jones Beach.
That 911 call triggered an intense air and water search that cost tens of thousands of dollars and Roth was initially presumed drowned.
The plot was discovered after Raymond Roth's wife found emails between father and son discussing the plan and alerted authorities, prosecutors said.
Raymond Roth was then spotted at a timeshare he owned in Orlando and later got a speeding ticket in South Carolina before eventually returning to New York, where he surrendered.
In March, Raymond Roth accepted a plea deal, admitting to fourth-degree conspiracy. He was expected to get a 90-day jail sentence but was later charged with impersonating a police officer and trying to kidnap a woman in Nassau County.