A father of three who allegedly staged his own death during a kayaking trip has been sentenced after revealing how he orchestrated the event.
Ryan Borgwardt was last spotted heading to Green Lake, Wisconsin, for a solo kayaking excursion on August 12 of the previous year before seemingly disappearing without a trace.
His family became alarmed when the 45-year-old did not return home after texting his wife of 22 years that he was on his way back to shore.
When authorities discovered his overturned kayak along with his lifejacket, they initiated a comprehensive search, fearing Borgwardt had drowned. In reality, he had pretended to have died.
Utilizing drones and sonar technology, law enforcement spent 50 days combing the area, incurring costs of at least $50,000, all in vain.
The investigation eventually stalled when it was discovered Borgwardt had engaged in suspicious activities prior to his disappearance, such as securing a $350,000 life insurance policy, erasing his computer data, inquiring about transferring funds internationally, and initiating an online romance with a woman from Uzbekistan in the months leading up to his supposed ‘death’.
Additionally, the Canadian border authorities checked his name shortly after he was reported missing.
Now, Borgwardt has faced legal proceedings, where judges in Green Lake County sentenced him to spend the same duration in jail as the authorities spent searching for him.
On Tuesday (August 26), he entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer and received an 89-day sentence.
Borgwardt’s elaborate scheme unraveled when investigators found he had expressed ‘his love and desire to create a new life’ with the foreign woman, according to Green Lake County District Attorney Gerise LaSpisa during the hearing.
“He reversed his vasectomy, applied for a replacement passport, and claimed that his original one, which his wife located safely at home, was lost or stolen,” she stated.
Authorities eventually located him in November and convinced him to return to the United States. Once back in December, Borgwardt surrendered to police and confessed he had staged his death for ‘personal matters,’ believing the authorities would cease their search.
Prior to sentencing, the disgraced father expressed deep regret for his actions, apologizing for the ‘pain I caused my family and friends.’
Judge Mark Slate explained that the sentence was determined based on ‘the length of time he maintained his deception,’ according to the New York Post.
LaSpisa harshly criticized Borgwardt for his ‘premeditated, selfish actions’ and the ‘significant harm’ inflicted on friends and the community.
The court also ordered Borgwardt to pay $30,000 to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for wasting public resources.
This sentencing follows recent revelations about the extent of Borgwardt’s efforts to carry out his plan.
“His entire scheme to fake his death and devastate his family for his own selfish reasons relied on him appearing to die in the lake and deceiving the world,” LaSpisa remarked before the sentence was handed down.
According to WISN 12 News, his wife has since filed for divorce from him.