Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was convicted of obstructing justice on 26/8.
He initially pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to his elaborate August 2024 escape plan. However, as part of a plea agreement announced on 26/8, he accepted the penalty and agreed to reimburse law enforcement 30,000 USD for search costs.
"I deeply regret my actions that night and all the pain I caused my family and friends," Borgwardt said in court before sentencing.
The prosecutor recommended a 45-day sentence to Green Lake County Circuit Court Judge Mark Slate. However, the judge nearly doubled the sentence to 89 days—the same number of days between Borgwardt being reported missing and police contacting him overseas.
The judge said the longer sentence served as a deterrent for anyone considering faking their death and deceiving law enforcement.
 |
Ryan Borgwardt appears in Green Lake County Circuit Court on 11/12/2024. _Photo: WLUK_ |
Borgwardt was reported missing on 12/8/2024, after telling his wife the previous night he was going kayaking on Green Lake, Wisconsin.
The disappearance was initially investigated as a possible drowning. However, after 58 days of searching without finding a body, police expanded their investigation. They discovered Borgwardt had obtained a new passport three months before his disappearance, wiped his computer data the day he vanished, and uncovered other clues suggesting he had faked his death to meet a woman in Uzbekistan he frequently chatted with online.
Police contacted Borgwardt in November 2024 and persuaded him to return to the US in December. He surrendered and was charged with obstructing justice. His wife of 22 years divorced him four months later.
According to the criminal complaint, Borgwardt traveled 80 km from his home in Watertown to Green Lake on 11/8/2024. During the night, he capsized his kayak on the lake, returned to shore on an inflatable raft he had brought with him, discarded his identification documents in the lake, and rode an electric bicycle 112 km to Madison. From there, he took a bus to Toronto, flew to Paris, and then landed in the country of Georgia.
According to records, Borgwardt told investigators a woman picked him up and they stayed in a hotel for a few days before settling in Georgia.
 |
Ryan Borgwardt planned to abandon his wife of 22 years and three children for an online lover. _Photo: Facebook_ |
The prosecutor criticized Borgwardt's entire scheme, saying it was designed to "abandon his family for his own selfish desires." Borgwardt had purchased life insurance, applied for a replacement passport, and canceled a vasectomy before faking his death to meet the online lover he had only known for a few months.
The defense attorney said Borgwardt was "deeply remorseful" for his actions and had returned to "make amends." He repaid 30,000 USD in restitution the previous week.
Tue Anh (_via CNN_)
