Jonathan Roth, Son of vanished LI Man suspected of faking his own death, Busted for insurance fraud

Jonathan Roth, 22

CARLE PLACE, N.Y.  – The son of a Massapequa man who was presumed to have drowned off Jones Beach but was later found alive in Florida is expected to face a judge Tuesday in the mysterious disappearance of his father.

Jonathan Roth was arrested Monday on charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and falsely reporting an incident.

The 22-year-old first reported his father, Raymond Roth, was missing on Saturday. He told police his 47-year-old dad went for a swim beyond the lifeguard zone on Jones Beach and never came back.

That 911 call from Roth’s son triggered an intense Coast Guard search and while no one actually saw Roth swim away, the Massapequa man was presumed drowned.

But days later, Raymond Roth was found alive in Florida. He was then pulled over for speeding in South Carolina and told the officer he was on his way back to New York, police said.

At a news conference last week, Raymond Roth’s wife Evana, said she was planning her husband’s funeral when she said she discovered emails between father and son which sent instructions on what to do about money and the house.

“Jonathan, there needs to be a way for me to find out how things are going. Call me Sunday night at 8 p.m. at the resort,” Attorney Lenard Leeds read from one of the emails. ”I need to get to the bank for cash for the trip.”

Evana Roth said she then showed the emails to her husband’s brother, who called police and told them Roth was in Florida.

Raymond Roth has yet to be seen in New York, but on Monday, Evana said she wasn’t surprised that her stepson was arrested.

“It’s lies, it’s all lies. He’s had a history of lying since he was a child. That’s his character. That’s just his personality,” she said.

But Christi Mayleai, Jonathan Roth’s girlfriend, said he is also a victim.

“My theory is that his dad set this up and his brother got involved at some point and they brought John into it to take the fall,” she said. “He said he didn’t know anything about the emails.”

Jonathan Roth is expected to be arraigned later Tuesday.