UPDATE at 3:40pm on December 11: Ryan Borgwardt has posted his $500 signature bond, and is no longer in the Green County Jail.
UPDATE at 3:15pm on December 11: The Green Lake County District Attorney charges Ryan Borgwardt with misdemeanor obstructing an officer, and sets his signature bond at $500. Borgwardt is due back in court on January 13.
UPDATE at 10:15 a.m. CST on December 11, 2024: Ryan Borgwardt, the Wisconsin man accused of faking his own death in Green Lake County and fleeing the country, returned and turned himself over on his own accord, Sheriff Mark Podoll confirmed on Wednesday morning.
Authorities say they officially learned that Borgwardt left the country on October 7th, eventually leading them to shift the nature of their investigation. Now that he’s back in custody, charges have officially been forwarded to the District Attorney’s office with a court date looming.
While they did not confirm the exact charges they recommended, Sheriff Podoll only mentioned Obstruction of Justice and restitution including the cost of the search efforts. As for what brought him back? The Sheriff did not outright confirm the nature of their conversations but insinuated that it had something to do with appealing to Borgwardt as a father.
It remains unclear which country Borgwardt fled to, but authorities say he returned to U.S. soil on his own accord and turned himself over to Green Lake County authorities when returning to the community.
They did not confirm whether or not he connected with his family before turning himself over, but he is currently cooperating with Green Lake County deputies.
It also remains unclear who Borgwardt was in communication with, but authorities said that at this stage of the investigation, they have no reason to believe anyone else will be charged or face any criminal penalties for their involvement in this case.
Ultimately, Sheriff Podoll credited the many organizations that contributed to the investigation — namely, the FBI, Justice Department, Homeland Security and neighboring local agencies. But above all, he praised his team.
“They’re the ones that kept this going, and I couldn’t be more proud of them [for] what for a family,” Sheriff Podoll said. “We didn’t give up, and we can stand here today feeling relief.”
The following breaking news story has been left unaltered from its original publishing.
GREEN LAKE, Wis. — WTMJ has confirmed through online records that Ryan Borgwardt, the 45-year-old Wisconsin man accused of faking his death in a kayak accident, is in custody at the Green Lake County Jail.
Soon after this was confirmed, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced that it would provide an update to the Borgwardt case at 10 a.m. CST on Wednesday, December 11. They also stated that they would not be releasing any further information about the case until that press conference.
READ MORE: Missing Wisconsin kayaker is alive, current whereabouts unknown
Previously, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll claimed they made contact with Borgwardt on November 11th, and requested he send a video confirming he was safe. Borgwardt did so, sharing a video in which he confirmed he was safe, but did not reveal his location.
As for how he would’ve faked his own death?
“He dumped his phone in the lake, then paddled his inflatable boat to shore, got on his ebike, and rode through the night to Madison,” Sheriff Podoll stated previously.
This is a breaking news story. An update and/or follow-up will be issued as further details are revealed.
