Originally feared drowned, Ryan Borgwardt eventually sent video to authorities proving he was indeed alive and revealed how he allegedly faked his death -- before police pleaded for him to come home to his kids for Christmas.
Wisconsin dad Ryan Borgwardt may see his kids for Christmas after all.
According to the AP, the 45-year-old father-of-three -- who allegedly admitted to faking his death and fleeing the country -- was booked into the Green Lake County Jail on Tuesday. The update came from the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system, which provides information about someone's custody status.
Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll confirmed in a press conference Wednesday morning that Borgwardt arrived on US soil via plane on his own on December 10, before he was booked into a correctional facility and is awaiting his initial court appearance.
No charges have yet been revealed, though Podoll said the charging recommendations included obstruction.
Podoll said Borgwardt has been cooperative and returned to the States willingly, but wouldn't confirm whether he has spoken with his family. "I can only imagine how they feel," he said of Borgwardt's family, "we brought a dad back on his own accord."
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View StoryRyan Borgwardt's Suspicious Disappearance
Borgwardt disappeared after going kayaking on Green Lake on August 12.
At the time, deputies initially responded to a missing persons call, and discovered Borgwardt's vehicle and trailer. Around an hour after the alarm was first raised, authorities then found a capsized kayak in the western part of the lake in an area where the water is around 220 feet deep, the sheriff told reporters.
The following day, fishermen found Borgwardt's fishing rod in the same lake, before his tackle box was also discovered, according to officials. Inside the tackle box were a wallet, keys and license belonging to Borgwardt.
The sheriff explained that on Aug. 24, a team of divers and search dogs were brought in to help look for Borgwardt, who last had contact with his wife and children on Aug. 11.
Members of a volunteer search-and-recovery organization, Bruce's Legacy, also ran a 28-day search for the missing man, but turned up empty.
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View StoryThings took a turn on Oct. 7, which is when Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said the search had to "go a different direction" after they discovered that Borgwardt's name had been checked by Canadian law enforcement on Aug. 13, the day after he was reported missing, per WBAY.
Investigators then delved further and discovered that Borgwardt allegedly reported his passport missing and obtained a replacement on May 22, according to WBAY.
Additional information gleaned from Borgwardt's laptop also allegedly showed that he took photos of his passport, moved funds to a foreign bank, changed his email and communicated with a woman in Uzbekistan ahead of his disappearance. He also took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January, and purchased airline cards, Podoll told reporters.
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View StoryBorgwardt Makes Contact
In late November, Podoll held a press conference and confirmed his department has been in contact with Borgwardt, after connecting via a woman who spoke Russian.
Authorities also shared a proof of life video he sent them, in which Borgwardt was seen in a plain-looking apartment in a t-shirt, saying, "Good evening, it's Ryan Borgwardt. The date is November 11. I'm in my apartment. I'm safe, I'm secure."
The video is at the 6:30 mark below:
"That's the great news. The great news is he's still alive," Podoll said at the time. "The bad news is we don't know where Ryan exactly is, and he has not yet decided to return home."
Per the Sheriff, they've been in "nearly daily communications" with Borgwardt, claiming he and one of their deputies now have a "pretty good relationship." He then said Borgwardt also laid out how he made his big disappearance.
According to Podoll, Borgwardt explained he "stashed" an E-bike near the boat launch, before paddling his kayak and a small, child's sized floating boat onto the lake. He then allegedly overturned the kayak, threw his phone into the lake and paddled the inflatable boat to shore. Once there, he then took the E-bike and rode throughout the night to Madison, where he took a bus to Detroit, crossed the Canadian border and boarded a plane.
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View Story"We are continuing to verify this information, trying to put the dots together. But we feel that this was Ryan's way that he could tell the entire country how he did it," said Podoll.
"In our communications, we are stressing the importance of his decision to return home and clean up the mess that he has created," the sheriff added. "Our primary judicial concern is that he safely gets back to US soil. He needs to return home to his children. If he chooses not to return, it's on his own free will and I think the message is very clear."
Podoll said no warrants have been issued for Borgwardt, adding that they don't believe any will be necessary if he cooperates and returns home. He also said authorities are looking for restitution for costs spent looking for Borgwardt, which they estimate are more than $40,000.
"Christmas is coming," Podoll also said. "And what better gift could your kids get than to be there for Christmas?"