Kayaker who faked his death to flee country is back in Wisconsin, in police custody, online records show
Police had previously said they believed Borgwardt planned his Aug. 12 disappearance and tried to conceal his efforts to mislead investigations.
GREEN LAKE, Wis. (WFRV) – Ryan Borgwardt, the Wisconsin man who allegedly faked his death and fled the country, is in custody, according to online records.
Borgwardt, 45, is currently in custody at the Green Lake County Jail in Green Lake, Wisconsin, according to VINElink, an online custody-status database.
The Green Lake County Sheriff's Office will be holding a press conference regarding Borgwardt's status on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. local time.
Borgwardt was first reported missing on Aug. 12 after he failed to return home from kayaking on Big Green Lake, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Deputies found an unoccupied kayak with a life jacket attached to it when they went searching for Borgwardt. His vehicle was also found near Big Green Lake.
For 54 days, numerous search efforts were conducted to find Borgwardt. But in early November, authorities announced that they believed Borgwardt planned his Aug. 12 disappearance and tried to conceal his efforts to mislead investigations.
Authorities said he also moved funds into a foreign bank and changed his email address while communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan. In addition, Borgwardt reportedly took out a $375,000 life insurance policy (allegedly to support his family in Wisconsin) and purchased airline cards.
Deputies were ultimately able to make contact with Borgwardt on Nov. 11 during their investigations into his disappearance. Borgwardt confirmed he had attempted to fake his own death. He also provided a video to officials confirming he was alive and safe, and residing in an apartment, which authorities believed to be somewhere in Eastern Europe.
“He staged his death, and unfortunately, one of the things he did say is that he didn’t expect us to go more than two weeks searching for him. I hate to tell him that he picked the wrong sheriff and the wrong department," said Sheriff Mark Podoll at a November news conference.
Borgwardt could face an obstruction charge in Wisconsin and may be required to repay the $35,000–$40,000 spent on search efforts. Federal charges are also possible.
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