Man Who Helped Fake Father's Death Misses Sentencing Hearing
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The man who helped fake his father's disappearance in Long Island has now pulled his own disappearing act, prosecutors said.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Jonathan Roth, saying he was a no-show for his sentencing hearing last Friday.
In March, Roth pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was expected to get a sentence that did not include jail time.
Roth admitted to helping his father, Raymond Roth, fake his drowning off Jones Beach in July 2012.
Jonathan Roth sought to obtain more than $50,000 from life insurance policies by helping his father fake his own death.
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.
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.
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