Saturday, April 5, 2025
37-year-old facing child pornography charges
Caroline Neal
RACINE — A 37-year-old Racine man has been charged with two counts of possession of child pornography.
The maximum sentence for each felony charge is a fine of up to $100,000, imprisonment for up to 25 years, or both.
Further, the court will impose a surcharge of $500 for each image or each copy of an image associated with the crime.
At an April 1 hearing, Racine County Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch set Carlos Chavez’s bond at $25,000. He is scheduled to appear in court April 9 for a preliminary hearing.
According to a criminal complaint, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation based on a tip from the Division of Criminal Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip referenced a Google account associated with the name “Carlos Chavez.”
During the investigation, RCSO served a warrant on Google for the account. According to the complaint, the account reportedly contained a photo of Chavez, as well as internet and map history.
The account also allegedly contained images depicting child pornography.
Friday, April 4, 2025
Clergy Gone Wild:: Disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, charged with sexual abuse in Wisconsin, has died
Laura Schulte
His death was confirmed by Archbishop of Washington Robert McElroy, according to reporting from the National Catholic Register.
The former Cardinal was ordained in 1958, became the archbishop in Newark, New Jersey in 1986, and then the archbishop of Washington, D.C. in 2000.
McCarrick rose to power despite credible claims of sexual abuse against him. A two-year investigation conducted by the Vatican found credible reports of abuse as far back as 1999, including one allegation that he slept with seminarians, according to the National Catholic Register. He resigned from the priesthood in 2018 and was defrocked in 2019.
Peter Isely, a founding member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said in a statement Friday that McCarrick's death leaves behind a legacy that the Catholic Church has failed to take full accountability for. Isely cautioned that the process to elect the next pope needs more transparency.
“McCarrick may be dead, but his many victims are not. We are still here, still living with the harm he caused — and with the church’s failure to stop him," he said in the statement. "There is no reason to believe the next conclave won’t include more McCarricks — influencing, protecting, and electing one of their own, just like he did at the last conclave. That’s why the public must know who these candidates are.”
In 2021, McCarrick was accused of assaulting a teen boy at a wedding reception in Massachusetts in 1974, and in 2023 he was charged with sexual abuse in Wisconsin. He was declared unfit to stand for trial late last year, though the charges are still open against him.
Though McCarrick never served in Wisconsin, he did visit the state on vacations.
Prosecutors in Walworth County and the Department of Justice in Wisconsin charged McCarrick with fourth-degree sexual assault over a 1977 incident. Had he been convicted, McCarrick would have faced up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The Walworth County case began after someone reported the abuse to the state Department of Justice's wide-ranging clergy abuse investigation. The department's inquiry is ongoing.
Prosecutors said McCarrick groped an 18-year-old while they were both staying as guests at a residence on Geneva Lake. According to documents, the teen was in the lake off a dock when McCarrick and another adult man entered the water. Both groped him and discussed his genitals, the complaint alleges.
The teen tried to get away from the men, according to the complaint, and got out of the lake and ran to the house.
The teen told investigators McCarrick began sexually assaulting him at age 11. According to the complaint, he reported several incidents in which McCarrick inappropriately touched or assaulted him before he was 18 years old.
McCarrick took the teen to lavish parties and events, the complaint said. The accuser also reported that McCarrick had taken him to an event where several adult men assaulted him.
The accuser also said McCarrick had sex with him the day before the incident on Geneva Lake.
In 1977, McCarrick would have been 46 years old. He was a priest in the Archdiocese of New York and was working as the private secretary to Cardinal Terence Cooke. The incident is said to have occurred a month before McCarrick was named auxiliary bishop of New York.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.
Registered sex offender facing new slate of charges
Caroline Neal
RACINE — A 43-year-old registered sex offender is facing a dozen charges related to noncompliance with sex offender requirements and sexually assaulting a minor.
Paul Shelton of Racine was charged with one count of sex offender, fail/update information; one count of intentionally photographing a minor without consent as a registered sex offender; one count of knowingly failing to notify school of sex offender status; and three counts of bail jumping.
Shelton also was charged with one count of causing mental harm to a child; one count of exposing genitals to a child; one count of intentionally contributing to the delinquency of a child; one count of exposing a child to harmful material; one count of repeated sexual assault of a child; and one count of incest with child by stepparent.
The bail jumping and knowingly failing to notify school of sex offender status charges are misdemeanors. The others are felonies.
Shelton appeared in court Tuesday, during which Racine County Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch set his bond at $100,000, according to online court records.
He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing April 16.
According to a criminal complaint, Shelton reportedly filmed children at a local school without parental consent on multiple occasions.
Racine County Sheriff's Office investigators also found a Facebook account that Shelton reportedly claimed as his own. According to the complaint, Shelton did not report the account to the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program, and he reportedly said he was unaware that he needed to.
Additionally, the complaint alleges Shelton sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl on multiple occasions from 2017-22.
During this time, the complaint states, Shelton and the girl’s mother also allegedly provided the girl with drugs.
From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_ec20c85f-c830-4cc8-a68b-d1236275b943.html
Cops Gone Wild: New Berlin police sergeant charged with misconduct in alleged drug theft at police station
Jim Riccioli
NEW BERLIN - A 20-year New Berlin police veteran allegedly took narcotic drugs stored for the department's K9 training program, resulting a felony misconduct charge Wednesday amid his ongoing suspension.
In addition, Sgt. Steven Dodson, 45, who's been on administrative leave since December, was arrested for suspected drunken driving Tuesday while in possession of his gun, and will face an additional charge of having a firearm while intoxicated, a misdemeanor count.
The New Berlin Police Department spelled out both allegations in a news release Thursday afternoon that for the first time revealed an 11-month investigation in 2024 stemming from the drug theft. But the criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Waukesha County Circuit Court provided more details, including what drugs were taken and why Dodson was suspected during that investigation.
Waukesha police lead investigation into New Berlin theft
According to the complaint:
The drugs — 28 grams each of black tar heroin, cocaine base, cocaine HCI and heroin HCI, plus 14 grams of methamphetamine — were discovered missing on May 7, 2024, from a secure storage area. Those narcotics, issued by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in September 2022, were used in the training of police dogs, in this case New Berlin's K9 program run by another officer and a separate dog handler. The DEA-issued drugs had last been used for training in November 2023.
After the drugs were discovered missing, New Berlin authorities asked the Waukesha Police Department to conduct an impartial investigation into the theft.
Surveillance tools showed Dodson as having been near the property room where the drugs were stored 12 times between December 2023 and April 2024. New Berlin police officials said it's an area which Dodson had no authorized reason to access.
New Berlin police also suspected Dodson as a result of an incident in Mukwonago, where he lives. Police and rescuers found Dodson unconscious inside his vehicle on East Wolf Run Road after an apparent drug overdose in August 2023, forcing them to administer Narcan to revive him.
Through a review of medical records, investigators said they found evidence that Dodson had been taking excess amounts of Vicodin and Gabapentin beyond what had been prescribed for back pain and may have obtained painkiller drugs that were laced with cocaine and fentanyl. The investigation also showed his inability to fill Gabapentin refills coincided with the period between November 2023 and April 2024 when the DEA-issued drugs were believed to have been taken.
Dodson was placed on administrative leave in December following the 11-month investigation.
Dodson charged in separate incidents
It's not clear why the criminal charges were filed more than three months after the investigation concluded, and what role the drunken driving-related incident played in the timing.
Dodson made his first appearance Wednesday on the misconduct in public office count.
A separate criminal complaint focused on the April 1 incident, in which Dodson's pickup truck was found stuck in a ditch near Interstate 43 and Racine Avenue at 2:20 a.m. The truck had front-end damage, which authorities believe was tied to a hit-and-run accident earlier that evening involving a traffic pole in West Allis. According to the complaint, Dodson was unable to stand on his own and failed sobriety tests. His gun was found loaded in the center console of his truck.
If convicted on the public office misconduct count, he could face as much as a 3½-year prison term and a $10,000 fine. Because the intoxicated gun possession charge was a separate incident, he could face additional penalties if convicted.
New Berlin police issue statement acknowledging public concerns
In a statement included in the news release, the New Berlin Police Department said it was "saddened" by the alleged incidents and is still processing their impact.
"It is vital the public understands the NBPD takes allegations of this kind seriously and will hold officers accountable if they are found to have violated Department Rules or state law," the department said in the statement. "We also respect that Sgt. Dodson is allowed due process both as a criminal defendant and as an employee of the City of New Berlin. We request that the public respects his rights and has patience while the process plays out.
"We recognize the disappointment this case may cause our officers and community members," department officials added. "Let us be unequivocal — this is not who we are. The officers of the NBPD remain dedicated to serving this community with honor and professionalism, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that trust is restored and maintained."
Dodson's attorney, listed as Michael Steinle, in online court records, was not immediately available to comment late Thursday. Dodson is currently free on a $1,500 cash bond.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
One incumbent, four newcomers elected to Common Council
Holly Gilvary
RACINE — Four new faces will join City of Racine Common Council this month, as decided by the April 1 election.
Voters on Tuesday unseated three incumbents in favor of newcomers, electing Malik Frazier for District 1, Jens Jorgensen for District 5 and Nathan Pabon for District 15.
Grace Allen won the race for District 9 against fellow newcomer Patrick Schwanke. District 9 incumbent Alder Terry McCarthy did not seek reelection.
District 11 incumbent Alder Mary Land secured her seat against challenger Michael Hansen.
Four districts get new alders
Jorgensen, who defeated District 5 incumbent Alder Melissa Kaprelian with just under 52% of the vote, said he’s most excited to collaborate with other council members and “really try to bring everyone together.”
“When I was knocking on doors, talking to voters, they shared time and time again that they wanted the council to come together and work together, and not be so divisive to where we have these boycotts and everything else that’s going on,” he said.
Jorgensen “fully intend(s)” to carry out the promises he made during the campaign, including protecting the Racine Public Library and addressing speeding and traffic issues to promote neighborhood safety.
Pabon, who won the race for District 15 against incumbent Alder Cory Sebastian, said it’s important that elected officials never forget the constituents who voted them into office.
Serving as an elected official, he said, is not about playing “partisan politics, not rubber stamping, not being an obstructionist, but going there to represent our constituents and their voice, and helping to make our city a better place.”
While Racine faces a lot of issues, Pabon said, “we also have a lot to be proud of.”
“There’s a lot that has come from our city, so I think when we band together and we work together for the common goal of making our community a better place for everyone, that’s when we really win, because we are rooted in our city,” he said.
Pabon said he looks forward to working on the Racine Police Department contract, helping businesses in his district thrive and getting to know his constituents.
Frazier won District 1 with more than 61% of the vote against incumbent Alder Jeff Coe.
Frazier said he is especially excited to work with downtown businesses and discover “how I can best be that support from the city in terms of resources, relationships, exposure.”
Allen said in a Facebook post that she is “beyond honored” to be the alderman-elect for District 9.
“This victory is not just mine — it belongs to all of us who believe in a stronger, safer, and more connected community,” Allen said. “I am committed to working effectively with my fellow Common Council members to ensure that we are making the best decisions for Racine.”
Reactions from incumbents
Kaprelian said she respects the voters’ decision and that while her role has now changed, her “commitment to the community remains unwavering.”
“I wish the new, incoming alder success in addressing the challenges facing our district and our city,” she said. “Racine does deserve leadership that listens to all the voices and makes decisions with both present and future generations in mind.”
Sebastian said her time on the council, serving District 15 and the city as a whole has been a pleasure.
“I have maintained independence from any political party, as I have and as I will continue to do so,” she said.
The newly elected and reelected alders will be sworn in at Common Council’s April 15 meeting.
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| Frazier |
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| Jorgensen |
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| Land |
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| Pabon |
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Racine man sentenced in child porn case
RACINE — A Racine man who faced 14 child pornography charges was sentenced during a hearing Tuesday at the Racine County Courthouse.
Tony Radunz, 57, was found guilty for four counts of possessing child pornography. For these charges, he was sentenced to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision. Radunz also will have to register as a sex offender.
The remaining counts were dismissed but read into the court record.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, Racine County Sheriff’s Office investigators searched Radunz's home in the 700 block of Arthur Avenue on Sept. 25, 2024.
The complaint stated that Radunz reportedly admitted to viewing child pornography and storing images on a USB drive.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Eric Adams corruption case dismissed with prejudice
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Tesla owner confronts man allegedly caught scrawling swastika on car
Common Council to consider expanding Downtown TID project
Holly Gilvary
RACINE — City of Racine Common Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on enhancing the Hotel Verdant project downtown and providing a $9.7 million loan to developers to do so.
If approved, Developers Dominion 12 LLC, Dominion 14 LLC and AOA Racine LLC would redevelop multiple storefronts and buildings in Downtown Racine in Tax Increment District No. 26, which houses the Hotel Verdant project.
According to city documents, the developers want to create a full-service spa at 512 Main St. and a mixed-use property with one retail and four residential units at 222 Fifth St. They also want to demolish the structure at 401 Wisconsin Ave. to construct a parking lot, with a future phase to include the construction of a four-story, 40-unit, market-rate apartment building at 426 Wisconsin Ave.
In return, the city would provide a $9.7 million loan from TID 26 with an annual interest rate of 3%.
If the developer proceeds with constructing the 40-unit apartment building at 426 Wisconsin Ave. within five years, at close of construction financing of the building, the principal on the loan will be forgiven, city documents say.
The city would transfer $5.7 million from TID 9 (the Johnson Building) and borrow $4 million from from the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands for the loan.
Dominion and AOA Racine agreed to the minimum valuation of $4 million for the apartment buildings if the plan transpires, according to city documents.
If the developer does not begin construction on the building at 426 Wisconsin Ave. prior to the end of the interest-only period on the loan, the loan will be re-amortized and bear an interest rate of 5% due in 2040.
More development on the agenda
The Common Council agenda also includes a request to amend the Regency Mall development plan to allow for a multi-family development and a resolution to reward a construction contract for townhomes for the Lincoln King Development Project.
The council approving the Regency Mall amendment would allow for potential apartment buildings at 5326 Durand Ave.
Hull Property Group LLC has proposed five three-story apartment buildings, including about 266 units, according to city documents.
The resolution involving the Lincoln King Development Project includes awarding a $14 million contract to KGI Construction Group LLC for the construction of 33 townhomes.
Developers would build the townhomes on properties acquired by the Racine Community Development Authority on Wilson, West, Prospect, Frederick and Hamilton streets, according to city documents. Each townhome would include multiple units.
Mayor’s veto
Mayor Cory Mason on March 7 vetoed legislation approved by Common Council at its March 4 meeting that would change the structure of council proceedings.
The veto is on Wednesday’s agenda for the council to either approve or override.
Agenda rescheduled from prior meeting date
All the agenda items involving major development plans and the mayor’s ordinance veto were originally scheduled for the March 18 meeting, but the council failed to reach a quorum and the meeting could not proceed.
Common Council on Wednesday is scheduled to consider all items originally on the March 18 agenda.
The council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Room 205 of Racine City Hall, 730 Washington Ave. A livestream of the meeting will be available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@cityofracine.
I lived in downtown and near it for nearly twenty years. Yes, downtown is nice, but so are hundreds of other downtowns in Wisconsin and thousands in the USA. DRC has drained our takes to the tune of millions of dollars that benefit only DRC members. Fuck downtown. Let the stores there experience the real market, not one subsidized by our tax dollars.
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