Man who staged drowning death at Jones Beach arrested again

Raymond Roth, the Massapequa man who recently admitted to faking his own drowning death last summer when he went missing at Jones Beach, was arrested on Wednesday after police said that he impersonated a police officer as he attempted to kidnap a woman in Freeport last week.

Police said that the incident occurred on the same day that Roth, who police said was living at 650 Shore Rd. in Long Beach, plead guilty to conspiracy charges after he staged his own death in a scheme to collect on a life insurance policy.

Nassau County police said Roth, 48, allegedly approached a 38-year-old woman on March 21 at 8 p.m. as she was walking on Church and Main streets in Freeport. Police said Roth was driving a white minivan with a brown lower panel when he continually yelled at the woman to get into the van.

According to police, as the woman kept walking, Roth identified himself as a police officer and threatened to arrest her if she didn't do as he said. The woman ran into the nearby PLS Check Cashing, located at 10 E. Sunrise Highway, in an attempt to flee the six foot tall suspect, who police said wore a black trench coat.

Police said Roth followed her inside and demanded that employees open the security door, but they refused. Roth again identified himself as a police officer, police said. The employees called police and the suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction. Police said that Roth was seen on surveillance cameras at the store.

Roth was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree criminal impersonation, second-degree attempted kidnapping and third-degree attempted burglary. He was arraigned on Thursday at First District Court in Hempstead, where he plead not guilty. Detectives are looking into at least two other possible attempted kidnapping incidents.

“One took place in the end of February, one took place, I believe it was March 16,” Det. Lt. Robert Galgano told CBS New York.

Roth’s attorney Brian Davis told CBS that his client was depressed and needs help, and is concerned that Roth may try to take his own life because he has psychiatric issues. Davis said his client is on many bipolar medications.

Roth’s disappearance last summer set off a massive search for days by state and county police, lifeguards, the Coast Guard and others. In what became a story that made national headlines, Roth turned up alive after he was pulled over for speeding through South Carolina on Aug. 2.