Boca Raton man who faked his death ordered to pay Coast Guard $1 million

Authorities say Ohrn fled to Georgia before returning to Palm Beach County

BOCA RATON, Fla. – A Boca Raton man who faked his own death last year was sentenced Tuesday to a year of probation and ordered to pay the U.S. Coast Guard $1 million for its search efforts.

Richard Ohrn, 46, pleaded guilty to willfully communicating a false distress message to the Coast Guard, causing authorities to attempt to save lives and property when no help was needed.

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Court records show that Ohrn rented a boat on March 31, 2015, before abandoning it at sea.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the boat was discovered by another boater, who saw several patches of blood and a broken pair of eyeglasses on board.

The Coast Guard searched for Ohrn for three days by air and sea, costing the agency more than $1 million.

Authorities said Ohrn fled to Georgia, where he hid in an unfurnished apartment before returning to Palm Beach County on April 12, 2015.

Investigators said they believed that Ohrn faked his death to escape legal issues.

Ohrn, a former broker for JP Morgan Chase, had previously been accused of stealing $15,250 from two elderly customers.

Ohrn also allegedly forged records and changed clients' address information so that they did not receive account statements or trade confirmations.


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.