Wisconsin man accused of faking his own death foun
GREEN LAKE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Wisconsin kayaker who faked his own death and fled the country has learned his fate.
Ryan Borgwardt appeared in court in Green Lake County Tuesday afternoon, where he pleaded no contest.
It was last August when a weekslong search took place for Borgwardt, who was believed to be missing. It was later discovered he had fled to the other side of the world.
In Tuesday, the judge sentenced him to spend the exact amount of time in jail that he had misled police --- 89 days.
On the night of Aug. 11, Borgwardt reportedly paddled a kayak to the middle of Green Lake, overturned it, tossed his phone, wallet, and fishing gear. He then went to Madison, Detroit, and Toronto, flying to the country of Georgia to be with a woman he met online.
Borgwardt reportedly did extensive planning to disappear, such as transferring money overseas, taking out a life insurance policy and getting another passport -- even looking up how to successfully disappear and how to fake a drowning.
For 54 days, volunteers and professionals searched the lake by water, air, and land, but there was no sign of a body.
Nearly two months after Borgwardt went missing, investigators discovered his passport had been checked at the Canadian border just two days after his supposed drowning.
On Dec. 10, the sheriff's department convinced him to return to Wisconsin and take accountability for his actions.
Borgwardt was charged with obstructing an officer for planting false evidence.
In court Tuesday, Borgwardt only had this to say: “I deeply regret the actions I did that night and all the pain that I caused my family and friends.”
While the state and defense agreed on 45 days in prison, the judge felt it wasn't enough.
"Court determines that the appropriate time for the defendant to spend in the county jail is the length of time he allowed his deception to continue. Therefore, the court sentences the defendant 89 days in the county jail," Judge Mark Slate said.
We heard several times in court Tuesday that Borgwardt's disappearance was a waste of resources for police, volunteers, and officials. While we're told the amount spent by the Green Lake Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin DNR was over $51,000, Borgwardt was ordered to pay $30,000 in addition to 89 days behind bars.