Crime & Public Safety
Crime & Public Safety

Man who faked death, fled to Georgia must pay Coast Guard $1 million

By Raisa Habersham
Dec 2, 2016

A Florida man who fled to Georgia after faking his death was ordered to pay the Coast Guard $1 million.

Richard Ohrn, 46, pleaded guilty to willfully communicating a distress message to the Coast Guard after they attempted to save him, according to WPLG Local 10 in Boca Raton, Florida. Ohrn was also sentenced to a year of probation.

Ohrn rented a boat in March 2015 and abandoned it at sea, the news station reported. It was later spotted by a boater with patches of blood on it and a broken pair of eye glasses.

The Coast Guard searched for Ohrn for three days, costing them $1 million, the news outlet reported.

Authorities believe Ohrn, a former JP Morgan Chase broker, faked his death to avoid legal issues. At the time of his arrest, he was accused of stealing more than $15,000 from two customers.

Read more of the story here.

About the Author

Raisa Habersham is the Intown Atlanta hyperlocal reporter for The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

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