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

[Trino]

IIRC, he had to wait for an hour at the airport after calling her to pick up him (rather than her being there to greet him), so I'm wondering if she never expected him to actually SHOW UP in person. If she did expect him, why did they stay at a hotel instead of her place? (Maybe because he needed to shower after walking hip-deep in muck at the lake! I'm sure he was quite the sight to see when the met.)

I bet she thought, "what a doofus." Maybe it was a love match, but I still think it was scam for his money, and he took it way too seriously while she took him for everything he had.

jmo

In court he said he had $20 to his name. Where did the $5,000 go?

 

[wtiger]

my opinion is that the police showed him a photo of his "girlfriend" with a previous victim of her catfishing

 

[Trino]

Prosecutors Reveal the Moment Runaway Wis. Dad Ryan Borgwardt Allegedly 'Knew That He Made a Mistake'

Borgwardt saw the picture of the woman he went to meet overseas 'and knew that he made a mistake, the one mistake that he couldn't make,' according to the criminal complaint.

people.com

12/12/24

Authorities spent 54 days searching for the 45-year-old woodworker, while his wife and three teenaged children mourned his presumed death by drowning in a Wisconsin lake.


But then on Nov. 8, while Borgwardt was overseas in Eastern Europe, he received an email from Green Lake County Chief Deputy Vande Kolk that made “his heart hit the floor,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.


“Borgwardt also stated he saw the picture of [the adult female that he went to meet] and knew that he made a mistake, the one mistake that he couldn't make,” the complaint says.

[..]

Borgwardt is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 13.

So, was the adult female actually a guy pretending to be female? Or, was it a female using a doctored photo? Guessing it was somehow catfishing. What a dummy. Why did it take him 4 months to return? What was he doing during that time?

Something I don't get. The sheriff showed him a picture of his lover, and he knew he had made a mistake. What about the person who picked him up at the airport? Was this the lover? What does the picture have to do with this when he obviously has seen the woman in person? Or, was the person who picked him up someone else?

 

[LoveyG]

So we heard Ryan put money in a foreign account, right? And had just $5500 cash?

I think the love interest took ALL his money and ran after she realised he was not as wealthy as he probably led her to think, she didn't want to deal with being part of an international news story- soon after that weird Selfie video, I think she took his account and DasVedaniya'd out of Georgia.

That's the only reason he crawled back to Wisconsin, turned himself in.

If he put money into a foreign account, I doubt it was his own account. He might have thought it was but I'm thinking no.

 

[touch]

In court he said he had $20 to his name. Where did the $5,000 go?

That's not technically what he said but may be what he was implying. He actually said he only had $20 on his person.
Maybe he still has all his cash in the foreign bank account but isn't able to access it at the moment?

Maybe he is just exaggerating. I doubt he would actually pay for legal representation even if he did have the money. Why would you? It's a relatively minor crime and he has already admitted guilt. What real benefit does he get from a legal professional over representing himself? The legal bill would probably be almost as much as the fine he'll get anyway.

 

[wnk]

Something I don't get. The sheriff showed him a picture of his lover, and he knew he had made a mistake. What about the person who picked him up at the airport? Was this the lover? What does the picture have to do with this when he obviously has seen the woman in person? Or, was the person who picked him up someone else?

From my understanding, the police back in Wisconsin showed him a picture that they had retrieved from his computer. He "knew he had made a mistake" because he thought he'd been clever enough to delete anything that would point to her, but obviously he'd missed something, and they were able to show him that they knew exactly who he was with.

 

[bestill]

I was at Walmart tonight buying black contractor garbage bags. While on the row where I picked them up, I thought of your post. Lol.

And I would have been giving you the side eye...

 

[vls12345]

From my understanding, the police back in Wisconsin showed him a picture that they had retrieved from his computer. He "knew he had made a mistake" because he thought he'd been clever enough to delete anything that would point to her, but obviously he'd missed something, and they were able to show him that they knew exactly who he was with.

This was also my understanding.

Jmo.

 

[Seattle1]

So, was the adult female actually a guy pretending to be female? Or, was it a female using a doctored photo? Guessing it was somehow catfishing. What a dummy. Why did it take him 4 months to return? What was he doing during that time?

Something I don't get. The sheriff showed him a picture of his lover, and he knew he had made a mistake. What about the person who picked him up at the airport? Was this the lover? What does the picture have to do with this when he obviously has seen the woman in person? Or, was the person who picked him up someone else?

Huh? There is no male imposter in this story, no catfishing!

The only guy here is Borgwardt! Listen to the 4 min video news broadcast linked below or see the criminal complaint.

There was was a real woman that RB went to meet and how authorities located him after he backed up their correspondence and her photo on a computer he left behind.

How investigators found Ryan Borgwardt

Now-sealed search warrants show how investigators tracked down Ryan Borgwardt, the Wisconsin kayaker accused of faking his own death.

www.fox6now.com

 

[bestill]

Huh? There is no male imposter in this story, no catfishing!

The only guy here is Borgwardt! Listen to the 4 min video news broadcast linked below or see the criminal complaint.

There was was a real woman that RB went to meet and how authorities located him after he backed up their correspondence and her photo on a computer he left behind.

How investigators found Ryan Borgwardt

Now-sealed search warrants show how investigators tracked down Ryan Borgwardt, the Wisconsin kayaker accused of faking his own death.

www.fox6now.com

This is probably one time when the perp wished he were catfished.

 

[Seattle1]

Chilling twist in case of kayaker who faked his own death

When Ryan Borgwardt, 45, got an email from Wisconsin Chief Deputy Scheriff Vande Kolk, he was convinced to leave his mystery foreign mistress, but Kolk has concerns about her wellbeing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

12/14/24

But now the case has taken yet another shocking turn, with the Sheriff's department expressing fears for the wellbeing of Borgwardt's foreign mistress - whose photo helped put officials in contact with the father-of-three.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Matthew Vande Kolk told DailyMail.com that his department could offer no help to the Uzbek woman whose identity has not been revealed.

'Because we are unable to provide any service to her whatsoever, I am concerned for her wellbeing,' he said.

 

[peas n carrots]

Huh? There is no male imposter in this story, no catfishing!

The only guy here is Borgwardt! Listen to the 4 min video news broadcast linked below or see the criminal complaint.

There was was a real woman that RB went to meet and how authorities located him after he backed up their correspondence and her photo on a computer he left behind.

How investigators found Ryan Borgwardt

Now-sealed search warrants show how investigators tracked down Ryan Borgwardt, the Wisconsin kayaker accused of faking his own death.

www.fox6now.com

Yeah it sounds like he spent 5 days at a hotel with an actual woman. A woman picked him up from the airport too. It’s not totally clear if this is the same woman as the one who was able to get Ryan in touch with the cops. If it wasn’t a scam, I imagine this was the point she probably bailed on the relationship - who would want to be pulled into this mess?

I still just shake my head, what a dummy. Only $5500 in cash?!?!? I understand some of the countries in that area of the world are cheaper but I can’t imagine that would have taken him far. And to get residency wouldn’t that mean he would have to file legal paperwork which would eventually reveal he was “dead”? <modsnip: inappropriate content>

 

[bestill]

Chilling twist in case of kayaker who faked his own death

When Ryan Borgwardt, 45, got an email from Wisconsin Chief Deputy Scheriff Vande Kolk, he was convinced to leave his mystery foreign mistress, but Kolk has concerns about her wellbeing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

12/14/24

But now the case has taken yet another shocking turn, with the Sheriff's department expressing fears for the wellbeing of Borgwardt's foreign mistress - whose photo helped put officials in contact with the father-of-three.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Matthew Vande Kolk told DailyMail.com that his department could offer no help to the Uzbek woman whose identity has not been revealed.

'Because we are unable to provide any service to her whatsoever, I am concerned for her wellbeing,' he said.

Is he concerned that RB harmed her? I am confused by his statements. JMO

 

[touch]

Yeah it sounds like he spent 5 days at a hotel with an actual woman. A woman picked him up from the airport too. It’s not totally clear if this is the same woman as the one who was able to get Ryan in touch with the cops. If it wasn’t a scam, I imagine this was the point she probably bailed on the relationship - who would want to be pulled into this mess?

He was away for several months. Maybe only spent 5 days in a hotel then moved somewhere else? (Referred to an "apartment" in the selfie video, I think)
At the point where he met the woman at the airport the police back home were still searching the lake for him. She wouldn't have been aware of any of the 'mess' until months later.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

It is getting stranger and stranger. I thought this quote from the article was particularly odd:

(Chief Deputy) Vande Kolk confirmed that the department is planning to release the communications and other evidence once the criminal case is over.

He added: 'I can't really talk to the content of that at this point. But it's something that's probably going to make for a potential story.

'I think a lot of people are going to see that communication, and again, they're going to see the people side of our business.

'And I think there maybe even some people are going to probably see a different side of parties that are involved in this case that they may have not otherwise seen.

'So when that time comes, you all will be much more informed as to the details that are probably very interesting on the story side, but not necessarily part of the criminal side.'

 

[Columbo Was The Best]

So, was the adult female actually a guy pretending to be female? Or, was it a female using a doctored photo? Guessing it was somehow catfishing. What a dummy. Why did it take him 4 months to return? What was he doing during that time?

Something I don't get. The sheriff showed him a picture of his lover, and he knew he had made a mistake. What about the person who picked him up at the airport? Was this the lover? What does the picture have to do with this when he obviously has seen the woman in person? Or, was the person who picked him up someone else?

No, not a guy. The person police found a picture of on his computer, the person who then spoke to LE over the phone and put them in touch with Ryan, and the person who picked him up at the airport are the same woman. Jmoo.

He said he realised he had made a big mistake because, with police having a picture of the woman, they could quickly track him down by using image reverse search. No doubt (and obviously, it is just my speculation) this woman had used the same picture, something sexy, to ''lure'' other wealthy American men (wealthy in her mind, not reality as it turned out with Ryan who comes across as poorer than church mice), so him leaving the photo on his computer screen was the mistake (in his mind.) There are specific websites to start this type of relationship with women from three ex Soviet republics. I am guessing Ryan was using one of those sites, or she first targeted him through sending him a flirty message via FB and then redirected him to her profile on the site. This is how they later ''siphon'' money which looks like what happened to Ryan who came back to the US with just a $20 bill.

This practice is really common in some population pockets in certain countries. Ryan is not the first fool that falls for it and he won't be the last.

All of it my opinion (I have in the past worked as a teacher in three countries in that part of the world and this stuff has been going on for years; even some of my local colleagues in one of the schools I taught were involved in this!)

 

[ChatteringBirds]

This is how they later ''siphon'' money

How exactly do they convince the men to give them money? By pretending to be in love with just them, pretending they want to be a couple?

Do you think R. paid for everything, including the apartment they were staying in?

Does it always go the same way -- the woman pretends to love him until the man decides to stop handing over money, and then she leaves?

I guess the reverse happens, too. Women who fall for this and transfer their money to a man...
(It's all so heartless!)

ETA: I wonder why the Sheriff is expressing concern for the woman. Does he think she may be "working" under duress for someone else?

 

[SluethinAway]

How exactly do they convince the men to give them money? By pretending to be in love with just them, pretending they want to be a couple?

Do you think R. paid for everything, including the apartment they were staying in?

Does it always go the same way -- the woman pretends to love him until the man decides to stop handing over money, and then she leaves?

I guess the reverse happens, too. Women who fall for this and transfer their money to a man...
(It's all so heartless!)

ETA: I wonder why the Sheriff is expressing concern for the woman. Does he think she may be "working" under duress for someone else?

Romance Scams & Eastern European Style Extortion Traps

Men Often Find Themselves In Romance Scams Visiting The Love Of Their Life Only To Find They Could Go To Prison

romancescamsnow.com

What I found interesting about this article was "The Trap"

1. The other common method is the invite the victim to the country, and get them set up in their hotel (which is usually owned or controlled by the criminal cartel). The victim will meet the woman and eventually go to the victim’s room for intimacy. At this point, it can go one of two ways. Either the woman will have sex with the victim and then threaten to claim sexual assault afterward or get the victim to tear the woman’s closes and then threaten to claim sexual assault. In these cases, the criminal will either use the real police they control or impersonate local police and storm into the room solidifying the threat of arrest or imprisonment, unless the victim pays.

 

[Columbo Was The Best]

How exactly do they convince the men to give them money? By pretending to be in love with just them, pretending they want to be a couple?

Do you think R. paid for everything, including the apartment they were staying in?

Does it always go the same way -- the woman pretends to love him until the man decides to stop handing over money, and then she leaves?

I guess the reverse happens, too. Women who fall for this and transfer their money to a man...
(It's all so heartless!)

ETA: I wonder why the Sheriff is expressing concern for the woman. Does he think she may be "working" under duress for someone else?

A myriad of ''sad stories'': their mum is ill and needs an operation, they are unemployed and need to buy furniture/food/etc urgently, they are studying X at university and need funds to finish their studies, their business is on the verge of bankruptcy and they need money to pay off debts, etc. They target men who they see as having a bit of a ''knight in shining armour'' attitude, traditional in how they see gender roles where the man is considered to be the breadwinner/sole income provider.

Yes, I really think he paid for everything and most likely he was also asked to open a bank account there with a second person (the woman) as joint account holder, or sole account owner.

No, it can go different ways depending on how much money the man has. If he's quite well off, they might be asked to purchase a property for the woman's family and after a wee while (once the title deed and everything is sorted) they ask for a divorce, if they ever got married. If not married, they simply ignore the man after the property purchase has gone through. In other cases, if the woman feels she is up for it, she might pretend to be happy with the foreigner for quite a few years, making sure she keeps getting money, shares, presents for her family members, school fees in an international school if she has any children from a previous relationship, etc.

As for the last comment on your post, this old article (2012!) about the business in Russia can give you an idea of the real dangers if the woman is not organising this herself but there are other people involved. In Russia, the Russian mafia is involved in all of this and in other countries women can be forced into this by their husbands/boyfriends.
Reporter states : ''What quickly emerges from my investigation, though, is that the Russian mafia has a major interest in the business - for the single purpose of fleecing gullible Westerners.''Me and my internet brides

As with my previous post, just my own speculation. I could be totally wrong regarding this specific case.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Maybe the woman is also married, and may be facing serious complications if her name goes out , in that different culture/religion ? Just saying…I cannot figure out otherwise why a US deputy would be worried for a foreign woman (other than a criminal network).
Very strange what DailyMail reports…