GREEN LAKE, Wis. — Ryan Borgwardt, the Watertown man who faked his own drowning and left his wife and three children to go to Eastern Europe, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for a plea and sentencing hearing on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer.
Borgwardt told authorities that he faked his death because of “personal matters.” He told them that he traveled about 50 miles from his home to Green Lake, where he overturned his kayak, dumped his phone and then paddled an inflatable boat to shore.
Watch: Watertown man who faked his drowning set for plea and sentencing hearing
After leaving the lake, he rode an electric bike about 70 miles through the night to Madison where he took a bus to Detroit, then boarded a bus to Canada and got on a plane.
The sheriff’s office has said the search for Borgwardt’s body, which lasted more than a month, cost at least $35,000.
Two days after returning to Wisconsin, Borgwardt's wife filed for legal separation. Their divorce was finalized earlier this year.
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