It looked like a tragedy at sea: A rented boat was found March 31 miles offshore with its engine still running and the captain nowhere to be found. But days after the U.S. Coast Guard finished its nearly $400,000 expedition to find the missing captain, authorities learned it was all a hoax.

The boater for whom they were desperately searching, Richard Ohrn, 44, of West Boca, hadn't fallen off his boat, and he wasn't in distress. He instead faked his disappearance, driving up to Georgia where he lived for a few days in a rented home, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies learned Ohrn had returned to West Boca and interviewed him Sunday. So far he is not facing criminal charges, and it's unclear why he ended the ruse. But he told investigators he was trying to "escape all of his legal issues."

Those "legal issues" stemmed from Ohrn's work as a financial adviser, according to records.

He came under fire around 2011 when allegations that he stole from customer accounts began to surface, court documents show. A lawsuit that ensued between Ohrn and a former employer -- in which Ohrn called theft allegations "baseless" and "defamatory" -- was voluntarily dismissed in federal court in November, records show.

A 2013 civil case involving Ohrn and his wife accused the couple of encouraging one of Ohrn's clients to invest $723,000 to Ohrn's home-investing corporation, RKJMO Home Investors.

Rather than making a profit for the client, the money was used to benefit the couple, according to the lawsuit. He also failed to disclose that he was no longer registered as a securities broker or as an investment adviser.

The case was resolved and the settlement approved in January 2014, but details of the settlement were not available.

Also, allegations surfaced last year that Ohrn stole $15,250 from two customer accounts and forged or falsified signatures on customer documents surfaced in a complaint last year by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the largest independent regulator of U.S. securities firms.

As of Monday, the regulatory authority's complaint remained listed as a pending regulatory matter.

Ohrn was reported missing March 31 after a boater found his rented boat abandoned miles off shore with its engine running. The U.S. Coast Guard and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office seached four days for him from Boca Raton to north of Fort Pierce. The Coast Guard conducted 20 searches that covered 3,100 square miles of ocean.

While Ohrn's actions caused a massive search, disappearing isn't a crime, said Elaine Cohen, associate dean for the criminal justice program at Broward College.

"Staging a disappearance is not a crime in itself, but if you do it for a profit -- for example -- staging a disappearance so his wife can collect life insurance, then it's a crime," Cohen said.

Ohrn told investigators how he staged his disappearance, starting with him buying a truck several weeks ago. He then drove to Pioneer Park, at 217 Northeast Fifth Ave, in Deerfield Beach. There he dropped off a small inflatable boat and motor that he had also recently purchased, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Ohrn then went to nearby Marina One, a boat marina, at 580 North Federal Highway, also in Deerfield Beach, where he rented a 19-foot Sea Ray boat, according to the Sheriff's Office. He then went back to Pioneer Park where he picked up the inflatable boat and headed out to sea, investigators said.

Once he was out in the ocean, he ditched the rented boat and used the inflatable boat to return to land, according to the release. The boat was found 6 miles south of the Boynton Inlet, about 2 miles offshore.

"He dropped the inflatable boat off at his friend's office building and drove to Albany, Ga. where he had been staying in a rental house," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.

It's unclear who the friend is or where the office building is located.

Whether or not Ohrn will have to pay for any of the $396,805 in search-related expenses hasn't been determined, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Ryan Goss said. He added that the cost only accounts for the search by air and doesn't include boats used in the search.

Goss said there are ways for the government to recoup the costs, but that the Department of Justice will likely determine whether to seek repayment.

"We're thankful he's alive despite the circumstances surrounding this," Goss said.

Ohrn's staged disappearance is one of several failed attempts originating in South Florida.

In 1981, former Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale resident, Anthony Ragno, 27, faked his death to escape a yearlong federal prison sentence for transporting a stolen boat. He was found in 2008, living in Haines City, southwest of Orlando.

In 2009, Subway employee Yakov Evan, 20, called Broward Sheriff's deputies and said, "I am being robbed right now" before the line went dead. Investigators found his car with a door open in the parking lot of the Subway where he worked. He was found a day after making the phone call.

Ohrn's mother, Patricia Ohrn, said she's relieved her son was found alive.

"I'm just glad he's safe," Patricia Ohrn said Monday. "Whatever his punishment is, hopefully he learns his lesson and becomes a better person."

South Florida Sun-Sentinel | by Adam Sacasa