Updated December 11, 2024 at 17:09 PM ET
Ryan Borgwardt appeared in court on Wednesday after vanishing in August during a kayaking trip, in what authorities say was an attempt to fake his death and flee to Europe.
Borgwardt returned from Europe on Tuesday and turned himself in to law enforcement in Wisconsin, his home state.
During his court appearance, the court entered a not-guilty plea on Borgwardt's behalf to a misdemeanor obstruction charge. Borgwardt told the court he couldn't afford an attorney.
His bond was set at $500 and he is scheduled to return to court in January.
Borgwardt, a married, 44-year-old father of three, had been living in Europe and arrived in the U.S. on Tuesday, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said.
Borgwardt was not extradited and "came back on his own," Podoll said. Police are pushing for Borgwardt to pay restitution. Podoll said his office spent between $35,000 and $40,000 on the search.
Podoll would not say what made Borgwardt decide to return to the U.S., what part of Europe he was living in or share what conversations Borgwardt has had with his family, but says the kayaker is "cooperating" with police.
In August, authorities initially believed Borgwardt had drowned. But an exhaustive investigation — that involved cadaver dogs, divers and federal law enforcement — revealed that he intended to fake his death and was residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. In November, it was revealed that the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office was in contact with Borgwardt, including a proof-of-life video that showed the Wisconsin man in an apartment in an undisclosed location.
During a November news conference, Podoll said Borgwardt gave "a number of reasons" for staging his death, including "personal matters." He had planned for months to fake his death and flee the country, telling authorities he chose to disappear on Green Lake because it was the deepest lake in Wisconsin, Podoll previously said.
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