American Father Fakes Accidental Death, Leaves Wife and Three Children to Pursue Love in Eastern Europe

Faked Death to Meet Woman in Georgia
American Man Faces Prison and Divorce After Staging Kayak Accident
Family Devastated by Scheme to Reunite with Uzbek Woman

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An American man who faked his own death as an accident in order to meet an Eastern European woman has ended up facing divorce, a fine, and a prison sentence.

According to the Associated Press on August 26 (local time), the story of a man in his 40s, identified as A, who lives in Wisconsin, unfolded as follows. On August 11 last year (local time), A told his family he was going kayaking, then capsized his kayak in a lake and returned to shore using an inflatable boat he had brought with him. He threw his identification into the lake and cycled more than 100 kilometers. From there, he boarded a bus to Toronto, Canada, then took a flight to Paris. He eventually arrived in Georgia, Eastern Europe. The reason for his trip was to meet a woman from Uzbekistan.

When A's family could not reach him, they reported him missing on August 12, and the police launched a large-scale search. Based on the capsized kayak and other evidence, the police initially assumed A had drowned. However, after 58 days of searching without finding his body, the search area was expanded. Through subsequent clues, including the fact that A had obtained a new passport three months before his disappearance, the police concluded that he had faked an accidental death to meet the woman from Uzbekistan with whom he had been in contact. The police made contact with A in November and persuaded him to return to the United States in December. He turned himself in and was charged with obstructing a body search. His wife of 22 years filed for divorce four months later.

Recently, the court sentenced A to 89 days in jail for wasting administrative resources. Previously, A had paid $30,000 in restitution. The 89-day jail sentence is twice the length of the prosecutor's recommendation. Before sentencing, prosecutors criticized A, stating, "His selfish actions devastated his family." A's attorney said, "He deeply regrets his actions." It was also revealed that several months before meeting the woman from Uzbekistan, A had purchased life insurance, renewed his passport, and undergone a vasectomy reversal procedure.