Wisconsin Man Jailed For Faking His Own Death To Be With Online Mistress

A Wisconsin man who staged his drowning to abandon his wife and three children for an online mistress has been sentenced to nearly three months in jail.

Ryan Borgwardt, 45, of Watertown, was convicted of obstructing an officer and handed an 89-day sentence — the exact number of days he managed to deceive authorities about his disappearance.

Prosecutors had suggested a lighter sentence under a plea deal, but Judge Mark Slate ruled otherwise, stressing that the punishment should deter anyone tempted to fake their death to escape responsibilities.

Borgwardt vanished on August 12, 2024, after telling his wife he planned to kayak on Green Lake. When he failed to return, police launched an extensive search, initially treating it as a drowning. After nearly two months with no trace, suspicions grew that he had staged his death.

Investigators later uncovered a trail: Borgwardt had secured a new passport, applied for a $375,000 life insurance policy, reversed a vasectomy, shifted money to a foreign account, and begun planning a new life with a woman he met online from Uzbekistan.

According to court documents, he tipped his kayak, left his ID in the water, then used an inflatable raft to paddle ashore. From there, he rode an e-bike 70 miles to Madison, traveled to Toronto, flew to Paris, and finally reached Georgia, where he stayed with the woman.

Authorities persuaded him to return in December 2024. By then, his wife of 22 years had divorced him. Borgwardt also paid $30,000 in restitution to cover search costs.

“I deeply regret the actions I did that night and all the pain I caused my family and friends,” Borgwardt said in court. His lawyer added that he came back to “make amends.”

The identity and whereabouts of the mystery woman remain unknown.