Found Alive WI - Ryan Borgwardt, 45, Green Lake, 11 Aug 2024 *evidence that he faked his death and is alive in Eastern Europe*

[PommyMommy]

NOV 25, 2024

Ryan Borgwardt likely wouldn’t face significant jail time after staging death, experts say

Experts explain what the legal ramifications could be for a Wisconsin man who faked his own death.

www.postcrescent.com

The lowest-level felony in Wisconsin, a Class I felony can carry a prison sentence up to three-and-a-half years, but Gross explained even that would be cut in half because the family never tried to claim the policy.

“But we’re possibly talking about a year-and-a-half as a maximum penalty.”

 

[TallCoolOne]

That's certainly a choice to make on your very first message on this platform! Welcome to Websleuths, ulcerator! Enjoy your stay!

Yeah........ Now that we've been properly admonished (eye roll) I suggest we just move along as if nothing happened......

 

[peas n carrots]

I've been following this case since the news broke about Borgwardt faking his own death.

It seems like Uzebekistan is known for a very low cost of living, and if that is where he is I'm guessing he is living pretty well. It appears Ryan also was a self employed cabinet maker, so I'm guessing he would be able to earn a living working under the table in construction. Eastern Europe is also pretty cheap, if he is somewhere like Poland or Bulgaria.

I don't think this dude has any incentive to come home - he would be facing ramifications from his family, community, and law enforcement. I don't think the US would expend a lot of resources on a guy with what effectively are pretty minor crimes. I'm guessing this doofus will just stick around with whatever side piece he found online and live a low profile life.

 

[Charlot123]

I've been following this case since the news broke about Borgwardt faking his own death.

It seems like Uzebekistan is known for a very low cost of living, and if that is where he is I'm guessing he is living pretty well. It appears Ryan also was a self employed cabinet maker, so I'm guessing he would be able to earn a living working under the table in construction. Eastern Europe is also pretty cheap, if he is somewhere like Poland or Bulgaria.

I don't think this dude has any incentive to come home - he would be facing ramifications from his family, community, and law enforcement. I don't think the US would expend a lot of resources on a guy with what effectively are pretty minor crimes. I'm guessing this doofus will just stick around with whatever side piece he found online and live a low profile life.

Right...
But take it from a person who loves to travel, who has been to Uzbekistan, whose mom was born there and who may still have relatives in Tashkent - no person in his right mind would uproot and move to a totally different culture, climate and religion without making thorough plans to relocate. Lots of people retire in different countries, where a dollar could stretch a long way, but no one does it overnight.
He is a cabinet maker? Not a computer engineer with a degree from a good school, not an engineer? Good luck working in Uzbek construction.
I think he is not right there even if driven by love, tbh.
I understand how horribly his family is feeling. On the other hand, let the woman from Uzbekistan deal with this nutter and all his issues now.

 

[Inthedetails]

Right...
But take it from a person who loves to travel, who has been to Uzbekistan, whose mom was born there and who may still have relatives in Tashkent - no person in his right mind would uproot and move to a totally different culture, climate and religion without making thorough plans to relocate. Lots of people retire in different countries, where a dollar could stretch a long way, but no one does it overnight.
He is a cabinet maker? Not a computer engineer with a degree from a good school, not an engineer? Good luck working in Uzbek construction.
I think he is not right there even if driven by love, tbh.
I understand how horribly his family is feeling. On the other hand, let the woman from Uzbekistan deal with this nutter and all his issues now.

I still think it's possible he was scammed/catfished and now is working with the catfishing ring. I can't see any other reason why LE in USA would care so much about a guy who ran away.

jmo

 

[caradana]

If I were a taxpayer in the great state of Wisconsin, my hope would be that we do not spend another law enforcement dime on this guy.

MOO: I hope his wife files and moves on and finds someone who loves her and stays put.

 

[Inthedetails]

If I were a taxpayer in the great state of Wisconsin, my hope would be that we do not spend another law enforcement dime on this guy.

MOO: I hope his wife files and moves on and finds someone who loves her and stays put.

I'm sure the county doesn't want to spend more money on this, yet it is putting resources toward the investigation. Which brings the question - why? I don't think it's because some doofus abandoned his family and country.

It makes much more sense to cut the losses for the county and consider the guy gone, but they aren't doing that. They aren't dumb and aren't likely willing to spend public resources for no reason....so there has to be a reason.

jmo

 

[Trino]

I'm sure the county doesn't want to spend more money on this, yet it is putting resources toward the investigation. Which brings the question - why? I don't think it's because some doofus abandoned his family and country.

It makes much more sense to cut the losses for the county and consider the guy gone, but they aren't doing that. They aren't dumb and aren't likely willing to spend public resources for no reason....so there has to be a reason.

jmo

Possible the sheriff just wants a feather in his bonnet. He seems fairly fixated that he solved where the guy is.

 

[Inthedetails]

Possible the sheriff just wants a feather in his bonnet. He seems fairly fixated that he solved where the guy is.

Not sure the price of that feather, if that's all it is, would be admired by the public who pays taxes.

I think it's more than a feather, but that's just my hunch.

jmopinion

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I still think it's possible he was scammed/catfished and now is working with the catfishing ring

IF he was scammed and is now working with the catfishing ring, what would his role be?
And I could see if they wanted money, but then isn't he, as a high-profile victim, now a liability?

 

[Inthedetails]

IF he was scammed and is now working with the catfishing ring, what would his role be?
And I could see if they wanted money, but then isn't he, as a high-profile victim, now a liability?

English skills? Trapped in a foreign country so can work long hours?

jmo

 

[Trino]

Not sure the price of that feather, if that's all it is, would be admired by the public who pays taxes.

I think it's more than a feather, but that's just my hunch.

jmopinion

I think the sheriff already is admired for solving the whereabouts of the possible love-struck absentee. If he could bring him home, I think he would be tops in his field.

Seems in the video RB is fixated on himself. No regrets. No thoughts to his family or kids. Do his wife and family really want him back after what he did? Hopes are she files for divorce and the sheriff talks him into returning and slaps him with charges. He definitely deserves all that. There's a limit to what can be forgiven.

<modsnip>

 

[Charlot123]

I still think it's possible he was scammed/catfished and now is working with the catfishing ring. I can't see any other reason why LE in USA would care so much about a guy who ran away.

jmo

I can imagine a catfishing (sort of) group which would be helping a really existing attractive woman. The telling sign would be her being available 24/7 to talk to enamored Ryan and being well-versed in his hobbies. However, the goal would be to push him into a divorce, invite the woman to the US, marry her, and then, when she'd get a green card, she could either pay the group back or fix her friends the same way, or divorce Ryan and marry her BF from home. Typically, the group would target a recently divorced/single man (or woman) but maybe whoever fell into their trap would do.

But not to lure him into Uzbekistan! Unless he lied that he was super rich, etc. And now he'll probably make money teaching rich Uzbeks American accent.

 

[Charlot123]

English skills? Trapped in a foreign country so can work long hours?

jmo

English, theoretically
Lots of tiktockers have huge following teaching proper English, though.

 

[Trino]

I can imagine a catfishing (sort of) group which would be helping a really existing attractive woman. The telling sign would be her being available 24/7 to talk to enamored Ryan and being well-versed in his hobbies. However, the goal would be to push him into a divorce, invite the woman to the US, marry her, and then, when she'd get a green card, she could either pay the group back or fix her friends the same way, or divorce Ryan and marry her BF from home. Typically, the group would target a recently divorced/single man (or woman) but maybe whoever fell into their trap would do.

But not to lure him into Uzbekistan! Unless he lied that he was super rich, etc. And now he'll probably make money teaching rich Uzbeks American accent.

Agree, simply because he left the US. Catfishing wants to bring the woman here. Sounds like he has an apartment. And, how did he grab that so quickly? Is it the woman's apartment? Did she pick him up from the airport? Sure would be interesting to know what he told her- as well as what she told him.

Thinking of other things. Did he understand Uzbekistan is mostly Islamic (92%)? Does he speak Uzbek (85% of population)? Does he understand sum (official currency)? Does he understand tea/bread etiquette? Holidays? Traditions?

 

[peas n carrots]

Right...
But take it from a person who loves to travel, who has been to Uzbekistan, whose mom was born there and who may still have relatives in Tashkent - no person in his right mind would uproot and move to a totally different culture, climate and religion without making thorough plans to relocate. Lots of people retire in different countries, where a dollar could stretch a long way, but no one does it overnight.
He is a cabinet maker? Not a computer engineer with a degree from a good school, not an engineer? Good luck working in Uzbek construction.
I think he is not right there even if driven by love, tbh.
I understand how horribly his family is feeling. On the other hand, let the woman from Uzbekistan deal with this nutter and all his issues now.

Thanks for the info on Uzbekistan. Really everything I know about Uzbekistan comes from YouTube videos over the last several days, so I appreciate having your perspective.

It looks like Ryan had been planning this since at least January 2024 when he purchased the life insurance policy. I found several YouTube videos specifically touting Uzbekistan as one of the cheapest countries to travel to, and I can't help to wonder if he fell down one of the rabbit holes. I agree though, that Eastern Europe is at least more culturally and climate wise, similar to the Upper Midwest.

His business profile: https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Ryan-Borgwardt/5554707195

I have to agree, I couldn't blame the family if they say "don't let the door hit you on the way out." I'm curious what is going on in his personal life that he thought faking his death for a sidebit on the other side of the world sounded reasonable. I will say, the family photos that have been circulating in the media - he definitely doesn't look very happy in any of them.

 

[peas n carrots]

<modsnip - sleuthing family members is not allowed>

I can imagine a catfishing (sort of) group which would be helping a really existing attractive woman. The telling sign would be her being available 24/7 to talk to enamored Ryan and being well-versed in his hobbies. However, the goal would be to push him into a divorce, invite the woman to the US, marry her, and then, when she'd get a green card, she could either pay the group back or fix her friends the same way, or divorce Ryan and marry her BF from home. Typically, the group would target a recently divorced/single man (or woman) but maybe whoever fell into their trap would do.

But not to lure him into Uzbekistan! Unless he lied that he was super rich, etc. And now he'll probably make money teaching rich Uzbeks American accent.

I'm not an expert here, but usually with these kind of Russian/Ukrainian woman scams it seems like the American men tend to have to travel over there first and meet the woman. Maybe RB wasn't upfront with the woman either about his marital status?

 

[iamshadow21]

Flora Stevens, this is who this reminds me of. The woman who disappeared in Catskills mountains and was found 40 years later in a NH in Massachusetts. Basically, she punished her husband as he always was suspected of having to do something with her disappearance and he did not! He never divorced, never remarried. Hers was a case of psychogenic fugue when one wants to leave his life behind.

Local – NBC Boston

In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston and New England area.

www.necn.com

When one fakes own drowning you wonder what exactly, in essence, one wants to stage.

Psychogenic fugue isn't deliberate, it's a psychological event. The subject experiences amnesia, and starts over because they don't recall their previous life. There's no intent there to deceive or harm anyone.

This individual planned out his disappearance with great precision, it's the opposite of that. He knows who he is and what he was running away from, and what it would do to his family. He did it anyway.

MOO

 

[Charlot123]

Agree, simply because he left the US. Catfishing wants to bring the woman here. Sounds like he has an apartment. And, how did he grab that so quickly? Is it the woman's apartment? Did she pick him up from the airport? Sure would be interesting to know what he told her- as well as what she told him.

Thinking of other things. Did he understand Uzbekistan is mostly Islamic (92%)? Does he speak Uzbek (85% of population)? Does he understand sum (official currency)? Does he understand tea/bread etiquette? Holidays? Traditions?

We don’t even know if the woman is Uzbek is a local, or has been recently displaced from Ukraine/Russia?
Islam in Uzbekistan is not extremist. Most that I heard from Uzbek taxicab drivers (when i used to visit my dad in Russia, so a while ago) was the inability to perform hadj because everything - the passport cost, the tickets - would grow up immensely in price during the hadj month.
We were considering visiting Samarkand during the holidays (as a tourist destination place it is amazing, just bring in Ciprofloxacin, and you’ll be fine).
The main thing people need to understand is that there is a wide difference between the urban and the rural life; that one can meet highly educated people in big cities and sheer poverty and minimal schooling in the villages; that Uzbekistan is in a difficult climatic zone as it is, and recent Islamization with the Ramadan did not make things easier. As many countries formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan hoped for economic independence (they have assets; cotton, agrarian sector, big plants in Tashkent) but mafia is mafia everywhere so many became migrant workers to Russia (I would not know about Ukraine and Belarus and whether recent events have reversed the process or not). So I see it from another side - many Uzbeks are trying to become migrant workers to other countries - so what would they do with a carpenter from the US remains unclear. This being said, the Uzbeks got used to hosting refugees (it started during WWII) and in general, are very hospitable. It is way different from any other Islamic country. I think RB might survive by the Uzbeks natural kindness, but it is not the life in the 1st world country, far from it. Well, maybe as a tourist guide for Americans he’d make a living. He can learn Uzbek; it is not horribly difficult.

 

[Inthedetails]

We don’t even know if the woman is Uzbek is a local, or has been recently displaced from Ukraine/Russia?
Islam in Uzbekistan is not extremist. Most that I heard from Uzbek taxicab drivers (when i used to visit my dad in Russia, so a while ago) was the inability to perform hadj because everything - the passport cost, the tickets - would grow up immensely in price during the hadj month.
We were considering visiting Samarkand during the holidays (as a tourist destination place it is amazing, just bring in Ciprofloxacin, and you’ll be fine).
The main thing people need to understand is that there is a wide difference between the urban and the rural life; that one can meet highly educated people in big cities and sheer poverty and minimal schooling in the villages; that Uzbekistan is in a difficult climatic zone as it is, and recent Islamization with the Ramadan did not make things easier. As many countries formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan hoped for economic independence (they have assets; cotton, agrarian sector, big plants in Tashkent) but mafia is mafia everywhere so many became migrant workers to Russia (I would not know about Ukraine and Belarus and whether recent events have reversed the process or not). So I see it from another side - many Uzbeks are trying to become migrant workers to other countries - so what would they do with a carpenter from the US remains unclear. This being said, the Uzbeks got used to hosting refugees (it started during WWII) and in general, are very hospitable. It is way different from any other Islamic country. I think RB might survive by the Uzbeks natural kindness, but it is not the life in the 1st world country, far from it. Well, maybe as a tourist guide for Americans he’d make a living. He can learn Uzbek; it is not horribly difficult.

Super interesting! Thanks for taking the time to share insights on a place unfamiliar to me (and I'm guessing others).