Jonathan Roth Update: Son of NY man who faked his own death misses court; warrant issued for his arrest
(CBS) MINEOLA, N.Y. - Jonathan Roth, the New York man who helped fake his father's disappearance in Long Island, was a no-show for his sentencing hearing Friday and now a warrant has been issued for his arrest, reports CBS New York.
Roth admitted to helping his father, Raymond Roth, fake a drowning death off Jones Beach in July 2012 in order to obtain more than $50,000 from life insurance policies.
In March, he pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and was expected to receive a sentence that did not include jail time, according to the station.
According to court documents, prosecutors said Jonathan Roth confessed that a frantic 911 call reporting his father had drowned in the waters off Jones Beach on July 28, 2012 was a lie.
"The defendant at all times was fully aware that his father never walked into the water and had in fact driven off in his personal vehicle," the complaint states.
That 911 call from Jonathan Roth triggered an intense air and water search that cost tens of thousands of dollars. While no one actually saw Raymond Roth swim away, the Massapequa man was initially presumed drowned.
Authorities believe Raymond Roth first fled to Florida. He was later pulled over for speeding in South Carolina, reports the station.
The elder Roth pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges earlier this year, and agreed to serve 90 days in jail and five years of probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Nassau County Police for the search efforts, totaling nearly $37,000.
Raymond Roth was later charged with impersonating a police officer and trying to kidnap a woman in Nassau County, according to the station.