Authorities reported Wednesday that the Wisconsin man, who allegedly staged his own death before appearing alive and well in western Asia, has returned to the United States and been arrested by sheriff’s deputies.
Ryan Borgwardt was charged with obstruction of an officer when he appeared before a Green Lake County judge on Wednesday afternoon while handcuffed and dressed in an orange jumpsuit.
“I have $20 in my wallet in the other room, so that’s what I have,” Borgwardt, 45, responded when Circuit Court Judge Mark Slate asked him if he could afford bail.
Borgwardt “voluntarily turned himself in” from “halfway around the world,” according to Slate, who also ordered bond at $500, stating that the defendant did not constitute a significant flight risk.
For allegedly staging his own death before flying across the Atlantic Ocean, Borgwardt might be fined up to $10,000 and imprisoned for up to nine months.
Borgward is charged with fabricating his disappearance on August 12 while kayaking on Green Lake, which is around 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Searchers discovered a capsized kayak, Borgwardt’s car, and his trailer parked in Dodge Memorial County Park after he failed to return home from his day on the lake.
To “make this believable” so that “everyone, including law enforcement, would think he drowned,” Borgwardt left his tackle box, fishing rod, and life jacket in the kayak, according to a criminal complaint filed by District Attorney Gerise LaSpisa.
The complaint claims that Ryan said, “everything hinged on me dying in that lake.” “Ryan also stated, (the) ‘whole idea was to sell the death.'”
No physical evidence or remnants of Borgwardt were found during an air and water search.
According to officials, investigators eventually discovered that he had hidden an electric bike in a tiny inflatable boat that he utilized to get back to shore. According to the complaint, Borgward rode it to Madison, then got on a bus that transported him to Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and Canada before finally getting on a plane.
Because Borgwardt had left his driver’s license in his wallet in the lake, Canadian border police authorities were suspicious and almost thwarted his plan.
He successfully negotiated his way out of that halt and arrived in Toronto, where he bought a ticket on Air France to Paris and then took a flight to another country in “Eastern Europe/Western Asia,” the complaint claims.
However, officials were able to track down the married father of three when he used his own passport in Canada.
Borgwardt texted “an adult female” who picked him up once he arrived at his post-Paris destination, and “they stayed at the hotel for a couple of days,” according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors strongly implied that Borgwardt was in the former Soviet country of Georgia, even though the court document did not specifically say where he ended up with $5,500 in cash on him.
Using a VPN to “make it look like he was in Russia or somewhere else other than Georgia,” the Wisconsin guy told police he went online to look up news reports about his abduction.
Borgwardt “stated that he knew that Georgia” could extradite him to the United States “and he wanted to be informed and prepared,” the complaint reads.
According to officials, the investigation also discovered that Borgwardt had created a bank account abroad.
Authorities claimed a Russian-speaking woman contacted Green Lake County Sheriff’s deputies and assisted them in getting in touch with Borgwardt following an international call for assistance in finding him.
Prosecutors said that on November 8, Borgwardt got an email from Green Lake County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Matthew Vandekolk, which made him realize that his strategy was failing.
According to the lawsuit, investigators discovered evidence on the laptop he left at home.
“Ryan stated that he had to sell the death and that he couldn’t take his laptop with him, it needed to be believable that he died in the lake,” according to the lawsuit.
A portion of the sheriff’s department’s video chat with Borgwardt, who on November 11 claimed to be alive, well, and residing in an apartment, was made public on November 21. His precise location was not made public.
Borgwardt had been urged by the sheriff to spend the Christmas with his family at home.
Sheriff Mark Podoll told reporters on Wednesday, “We just spoke to them for a short while, and I can only, only imagine how they feel.”
Whether any members of Borgwardt’s family were present in court on Wednesday was not immediately apparent.
Slate pled Borgwardt not guilty and scheduled his upcoming court appearance for January 13.
The sheriff thanked his staff, federal authorities, and local volunteers who worked on this case, saying, “We brought a dad back on his own accord.”
With his voice breaking with emotion, Podoll stated, “They are the ones who kept this going.” For what they done for a family, I am incredibly proud of them. We persisted. And you can feel relieved as you stand here today.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!