American Man Sentenced for Elaborate Death Hoax
Ryan Borgwardt, a 45-year-old married father of three from Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 89 days in jail for faking his own death in an elaborate scheme to meet a woman he met online from Uzbekistan. The sentence corresponds to the exact number of days he deceived authorities about his disappearance.
The Disappearance and Investigation
In August 2024, Borgwardt told his wife he was going kayaking on Green Lake in Wisconsin. When he failed to return, authorities discovered his capsized kayak, car, fishing equipment, wallet, and driver's license at Dodge Memorial Park. For 58 days, law enforcement conducted extensive search operations in the lake, believing he had drowned.
The Digital Trail
The investigation took a dramatic turn when detectives examined Borgwardt's laptop and discovered he had transferred money to a foreign bank account and was communicating with a woman from Uzbekistan. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll revealed that evidence suggested Borgwardt was alive and had deliberately disappeared.
The Elaborate Escape Plan
Borgwardt admitted to authorities that he had meticulously planned his disappearance. He stashed an electric bicycle near the boat launch, paddled onto the lake with both a kayak and a child-sized inflatable boat, then capsized the kayak and tossed his phone into the water. He paddled back to shore in the inflatable boat and rode the bicycle approximately 80 miles to Madison, Wisconsin, before taking a bus to Detroit and eventually flying to Canada.
International Manhunt and Return
On November 11, 2024, Borgwardt sent a 24-second video to the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office confirming he was safe. Authorities discovered he had used a VPN to make it appear he was in Russia rather than Georgia, where he was actually staying. After pleading from law enforcement, Borgwardt returned to the United States on December 10, 2024, and turned himself in.
Legal Consequences and Personal Fallout
Borgwardt pleaded guilty to obstructing an officer and agreed to pay $30,000 in restitution to cover search costs. The prosecutor initially sought a 45-day sentence, but Judge Mark Slate doubled it to 89 days, matching the duration of the deception. Borgwardt's wife of 20 years has filed for divorce, stating their marriage has "broken down beyond repair."
During sentencing, Borgwardt expressed remorse: "I regret what I did and the pain I caused my family and friends." The case highlights the extensive resources law enforcement dedicates to missing persons cases and the serious consequences of falsifying such reports.