MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday that restitution from the Ryan Borgwardt case is helping them fund new equipment.
Ryan Borgwardt faked his death in 2024 by staging his kayak on Big Green Lake to make it seem like he drowned. He then fled the country, leaving his wife and three children, to meet a woman in the country of Georgia.
Authorities investigated his disappearance, discovered his ruse, and finally were able to contact him online; they convinced him to return to the U.S. He pleaded no contest to obstructing an officer and was sentenced to 89 days in jail on August 26, 2025…