by Green Lake, WI – A Wisconsin father-of-three who faked his death during a kayaking trip in an elaborate scheme to abandon his family and run off to Europe with an online lover has been sentenced to nearly three months in jail.
The Sentencing
Ryan Borgwardt, 45, received 89 days in county jail on Tuesday after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer, according to reports.
Judge Mark Slate said the unusual sentence length matched the time authorities spent searching for Borgwardt after he vanished last summer.
“The length of time he allowed his deception to continue” influenced the ruling, Slate told the court.
In addition to jail time, Borgwardt was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for the costly, weeks-long search.
A Disappearance That Shocked a Community
Borgwardt was reported missing on August 12, 2024, after a kayaking trip on Green Lake, roughly 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee. An overturned kayak and life jacket were recovered, leading investigators and family members to believe he had drowned.
The search lasted eight weeks and cost at least $50,000, with volunteers and officials devoting countless hours to finding the missing father.
But after 54 days, investigators discovered Borgwardt was alive — and had staged his death to pursue a relationship with a woman he met online from Uzbekistan.
The Elaborate Plan
According to prosecutors, Borgwardt meticulously plotted his disappearance. He applied for a replacement passport, opened a new bank account, and purchased a $375,000 life insurance policy just months before vanishing. He also reversed a vasectomy and explored transferring money overseas.
After staging the drowning, he rode an electric bike 70 miles to Madison, caught a bus to Detroit, and crossed into Canada. From there, he boarded a flight in Toronto that took him to Paris before eventually traveling to the country of Georgia, where he reunited with the woman.
Authorities tracked him down in November 2024 and persuaded him to return to the U.S. in December.
Fallout for His Family
Green Lake County District Attorney Gerise LaSpisa condemned Borgwardt’s “premeditated, selfish actions,” saying his deception caused “incredible damage not only to his family, but our community.”
Borgwardt’s wife of 22 years, Emily, divorced him in April 2025, citing their marriage as “irretrievably broken.”
His Words of Regret
Before sentencing, Borgwardt apologized in court:
“I deeply regret my actions and the pain I caused my family and friends.”
His attorney, Erik Johnson, said Borgwardt voluntarily returned to the U.S. “to make amends” and had already paid the $30,000 restitution.
