Nick and Carolyn Ryberg met and married in 1988 and began a family and a professional career
that took them back and forth across the United States with a variety of large private sector companies. By
most standards they were hugely successful. Although their lives were filled with many opportunities
there was a growing element of excess and arrogance. With each promotion and relocation came more struggles
to climb the corporate and social ladder. Appearances and materialism began to take on a greater role in
their lives, small bad decisions grew into larger bad decisions, and they slowly let the world's values define their
priorities.
Following a corporate relocation to Minnesota
in early 1999 the Rybergs decided to embark on a business relationship that started as a conflict of interest and soon grew
into an illegal structure of financial transactions between Nick’s employer and Carolyn’s search company.
In 2003, Nick left his private sector employment and the Rybergs opened and began operating a franchised
professional recruiting firm. Within the year, the Rybergs were sued in Federal Civil Court by Nick's former
employer for approximately one million dollars. Following the resolution of an extended civil suit their case
was subsequently referred to the United States Attorney's Office. The Rybergs made the decision to accept
responsibility for their wrongdoings and subsequently entered into a plea agreement including criminal charges for three counts
of mail fraud. They were both sentenced to federal prison and required to serve their sentences concurrently.
The legal process was exacting and in its wake the Rybergs were left with several boxes of personal belongings while
their young children were sent to live with family and friends.
