(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Imagine being woken up just after dawn by the sound of a Sheriff’s S.W.A.T. team member on a loudspeaker calling for all occupants of your home to exit with your hands up. You do as ordered and you exit your home to see 39 law enforcement officers from multiple law enforcement agencies surrounding your home. One neighbor tells an officer, “It’s about time you take down this home.”
The police find drugs in your bedroom, your office, and in almost every room of your small, dilapidated home. They find an unidentified pill in the kitchen area, possibly a prescription pill with no prescription. They find a jar containing 3.2 grams of marijuana in your living room. They find .2 grams of marijuana in your office, that you admit to police “no one else has access to.” In your bedroom, they find .3 grams of marijuana and a package of “shroom gummies.”
In your kid’s room, they find 14 vials of steroids, boxes of syringes, a scale, two rolled-up dollar bills, charred tinfoil with residue, four glass pipes, a pill bottle with 6 yellow pills and two boxes of Narcan.
As a backstory, your mistress, died in your bed of an opiate overdoses almost three years ago. Your son, almost died twice in your home due to opiate overdoses, but brave deputies saved his life with multiple doses of Narcan. You know your son has had sex with at least three underage girls in your home. The police have been to your home and you lied to them, telling them there wasn’t an underage girl in the home. Once police tell you that they will be entering your home, you come clean, and finally tell the truth and get the underage girl. In fact police have been to your home many many times. Police also find evidence of child sex crimes and child pornography in the possession of your son. He’s arrested.
Are you arrested? If you are 99.9% of the residents of Kenosha County, the answer would be “yes.” If your name is Ted Kmiec, a lawyer and former politician, the answer is “no.”
Their Residence
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
This very scenario happened to Ted Kmiec just last month. He was not arrested and the Sheriff’s Department didn’t refer any charges against him at all. Not for the drugs, not for anything. Not even a non-criminal citation. Nothing. Why would Ted not be arrested with all that dope and other drugs? We don’t know. The Sheriff won’t tell us. Sheriff David W. Zoerner is Ted’s Guardian Angel.
Ted once called the police to tell them that I placed hidden “bugs” and cameras inside his home. I wanted to see the body-worn camera. I wanted to see what he told the deputies about me. Zoerner wouldn’t give it to me. He wanted to protect Kmiec. I had to sue him to get the video and transcripts of what was said in the home.
This is when I started to suspect that Ted was untouchable. Why the two classes of citizenry? We may never know. When Zoerner campaigned, he campaigned that marijuana was a “gateway” drug and that he would enforce its possession vigorously. He has. But not against a “Friend of the Sheriff’s Department,” Ted Kmiec. He is immune from charges from the Sheriff.
KCE initiated a public records request to the Sheriff for the amount of marijuana-related criminal referrals and citations for 2024. He refused to provide those numbers to KCE. Unfortunately we have to sue him again to get these numbers.
No one is ever going to be a perfect. Zoerner in my opinion has been a great Sheriff. But not here. He is helping someone out by shielding him of criminal charges. We may never know why. It’s a shame he won’t tell us. What are we missing? Why give big political favors for someone who is surrounded with death, drugs, and misconduct? What’s in it for the Sheriff? Ted isn’t an elected official anymore.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis can still charge Ted with possession of marijuana and possibly more charges, but that would be unusual. He wasn’t asked to charge him. We can only hope that Solis rebukes the Sheriff’s “get out of jail free card” for Kmiec and charges him anyway. Solis was afterall, elected to put an end to political favors like these.
Zoerner is a good Sheriff, but KCE must call balls and strikes. This is a strike. It’s a bad move and this type of cronyism shouldn’t happen in Kenosha County. It takes away from the professionalism of the deputies that work hard and risk their lives every day. We also must mention that the Sheriff hasn’t done anything and isn’t doing anything about the allegations of the 16-year-old boy exposing himself in front of 14-year-old girls at Westosha High School. The School Resource Deputy, Alexander Hyatt was notified of victims that wish to come forward, but Hyatt ignored them and refused to speak to them. Zoerner refused to intervene.
Do better Sheriff. The people are watching. The “Eye” is watching.
***Edit (1/24/2025 @ 9:58am) KCSO provided us with the marijuana arrests for 2024:
(76) Criminal charges for THC, and
(103) Citations for Marijuana
80 Responses
WTF???? Not Good! 😡
The whole thing just disgusts me! Finally maybe Trent will spend time behind bars and face reality. It might just be the only thing that saves his own life. Ted needs to face reality too. He should not be above the law. He is supposed to be a professional lawyer. I personally know that he slacks on handling certain cases and spends too much time on Facebook. Now I’m wondering if he is high on weed using Facebook too. I mean it makes sense. Should someone who is supposed to be a professional attorney be spending so much time on Facebook and smoking dope? Should he be around a bunch of other drugs, overdose deaths, underage sex crimes? Should all of this be swept under the rug? Absolutely not! Thank you KCE for keeping us informed, not only on the life & times of Ted Kmiec saga, but on everything else in our county. You have “COMMON SENSE!”
…to refuse a citizen complaint at the sheriff’s office?
Then we need to go directly to the DA !!!
How many times have we read that the police arrested someone and recommended charges only to see the DA Gravely not charge that person.
Since it’s obvious that the DA is in charge of the actual charging, why do we need the sheriff anyway ? Parents should go directly to the DA and file their complaint for charges there !!
Central Parents ? Call the NEW DA !!
File charges.
Let’s Go !
yah ……. the time for “citizen” laziness to end was 30 years ago
If law enforcement is refusing to receive complaints, your next step would be the District Attorney. If the DA doesn’t want to take action, the Attorney General would be next. However, that’s not the case here. The amount of marijuana that was found doesn’t warrant a criminal charge. His lack of criminal record, age, and the insignificant amount of drugs found will most likely result in an ordinance forfeiture, which is the best-case scenario.
Question for lawyer:
– can a citizens arrest be made on Kmeic? I’ll do it
If so.
– Does salem lakes pay the county for a municipal officer that can make the arrest on behalf of Salem
Lakes? Charge him at the local level. Get it in front of the DA by whatever means necessary.
If the kid is a pedo the house seems very close to Salem and Westosha schools.
Mr Zoerner, Doing nothing is what Dave Beth would have done. You are better than that and you campaigned on it. Kevin is right on this one.
Sign me up as well
Well thanks to KCE, this piece of shit and his family have been exposed. I think I would rather take silent criminal charges that won’t show up in a google search, than to have my name blasted all over the internet pointing out exactly who and what I am.
The problem is this piece of shit even is complicit in helping his predictor brother every time he needs to get out of trouble. They are all of the same seed, this family is corrupt, immoral and just worthless.
Is that the brother that constantly cries about his divorce on FB? What a loser.
Ohhh God the brother is such a cry baby about his divorce …..its like you fucking suck at marriage maybe dont traffic your wife for favors from washed up 80s bands…better yet just shut up alreay about how you were court appointed into the home ….big fucking deal Andrew Freund parents also got custody of him before they killed him ..just because you he got custody dosent mean he is is not a piece of shit …wonder how many favors he called into old judges from Teds DA days
Ohhhhh I have a great Zoerner story pertaining to uniform code of conduct and about 7 other sheriffs!!!!That connects with the village of Bristol. I’ve kept it under wraps but I’m at the point where I’m gonna spill the tea on everyone….
Do it.
Spill the beans as well
You have been too kind to the sheriff. You helped him get elected and he turns out as corrupt as any other Kenosha official. You can’t be friends with these types and keep your integrity as a journalist. It seems you are learning this lesson. They cast you out as soon as they are done using you.
100%
Ahh yes the DA who has run out all of his assistant DA’s because he has no idea what he is doing. He was elected solely because of his party affiliation. Can’t wait for our courts to be so back logged people stay out on the streets instead of jail because of incompetence.
No the little shitheads left because they don’t want to work with Solis. Which Solis just started and is doing a good job. Carli and Graveleys crew let those criminals out by being soft on crime.
Backlogged, thanks to the efforts and brainwashing exercised by Carli and her wife Jess towards most of the deserters.
All articles like this one do is make them laugh their fat horrible butts off wherever they are in liberal land county.
Carli had 0 personality and did 0 work.
Going to visit the biddies at the Susan B Anthony dinner is not a campaign.
Solis worked hard and shook a lot of hands.
If he had been as lazy as Carli he would have lost with or without Trump.
Guess what? He also didn’t need to attend the lame KCBA debate to win either.
Suck it lawyers and judges who think they are the king makers in Kenosha County. You just got served.
Sheriff Dave wow. Corruption that is best. He always talk bad about sheriff Beth. By the way he endorsed Donald Trump. Now he won’t charge people. Maybe he won’t support the people he endorsed.
Oooh bad man I think you gotta throw the book at him! I LOVE JUSTICE! I LOVE YOU!
Greed and corruption
Rumor has it Deputy Nicole Sorenson is also a Kmiec “guardian angel.” She protects that family the same way Zoerner does unfortunately. I wonder what happens behind closed doors between Ted and Kenoshas law enforcement? What secrets are they hiding… why does Ted get an upper hand simply for being an attorney. The law IS the LAW. He ain’t anymore special than the average person matter of fact he’s a POS just like his creep ass son.
Corruption.
Sorensen is a wack job and thinks she knows how to do her job but like a lot of people she just goes through the motions. Whatever.
This has to stop, all 3 Kmiec boys, Ted, Trent and brother Don the wan, need to pay for their crimes.
It was also overheard that certain KCSO gave the big man a heads up about the raid ….big man got rid off stuff and little man didnt take him serious ..there was more …..im sure a search of any calls placed 24hrs prior to raid would show some KCSO numbers …
Send name of KCSO to tips so KM can work on it
Not a good look Sheriff.
Another politician who lies
He has dirt on city officials
Stories like these would not have came out if it wasn’t for KCE. Another side to all stories. Kenosha News has become wanna be mainstream media that they barely report on Kenosha WI. Just slander on big politicians.
Jeez one week in and KCE is already criticizing the DA.
My guess is all these guys end up doing what the fuck they want regardless of what they said when they were running. That’s basically been typical of everyone KCE has endorsed….
Np that every politician period
Hmm. Missed the part where KCE criticized new DA.
The Kmiecs’ need to finally be accountable. all of them!
I dont see where KCE is criticizing the DA. Just calling the DA to do his job by charging someone. If the DA is able to do that, why not?
The electoral victories of candidates Zoerner and Solis can be directly attributed to Kev’s campaign initiatives and support. Their successful election outcomes were a direct result of Kev’s dedicated efforts. Those are the bridges that were built.
With respect to the matter at hand, the quantity of THC in question amounts to less than 2 grams, which raises concerns about the prudent allocation of public resources. Given that this matter could be adequately addressed through municipal ordinance enforcement, the pursuit of criminal charges may not represent the most efficient use of prosecutorial resources and taxpayer funds.
In addition to the implementation and enforcement of the ordinance, pursuing formal action through the Bar Association would constitute a separate and warranted measure.
The deployment of the SWAT unit was justified based on credible intelligence derived from lawfully intercepted communications, wherein the young felon, expressed intent to respond with deadly force against law enforcement personnel.
It is noteworthy that this critical information regarding the threat assessment and subsequent tactical response apparently was not conveyed to the Eye.
Writing this article demonstrates your strong values, Kev. However, keep in mind that even if they press criminal charges, Kmiec III doesn’t have a criminal record, and due to the insignificant amount of THC found, it will likely end up as a forfeiture.
The bigger issue is the pattern at that home. People have died and almost have died from drug abuse. Now, add sex crimes, hard to believe someone doesn’t want to charge to maybe protect the public. I thought we punished to alter behavior? This home has a terrible history of bad things, time for a new beginning, the neighbors deserve better.
Marijuana is NOT just a Gatweay drug.
Students at Parkside smoke it too.
It’s its own shitty drug.
Fun neeeeee
Stop burning bridges. Not good. Ted’s life is destroyed. You won
What bridges are burnt that Kev would possibly care about?
Hey, all this shows is that Kevin is willing to possibly call out his own. (Side) That’s called integrity
Yup.
Sadly …. 90% of “conservatives” won’t even oppose their opponents.
Integrity is the word!
There is a first time for everything
this sheriff should not be involved in the case, He needs to stop and back off and let the justice system and the law work.
friend or no friend this attorney and this home has been a major issue for a long time and needs to be stopped. This kid needs to be in prison
and the dad needs to be held accountable for what he is doing and has done this is an enough.
Kevin keep going with this keep digging don’t stop. . Kenosha needs your help
Da solis dont get wished washed the law is the law , charge them both and get it going , We voted you in to stop this not continue , Lets get it going .
Keep in mind the Sheriff is also a part time realtor with Cove realty, you’d think being Sheriff it would be 24/7 but he has time to sell houses.
The thing is …. if 90% of “conservatives” ACTED …. instead of being lazy …… people like him wouldn’t GET AWAY with stuff like this.
Did not know he still worked at Cove, but I’ve used Mike and Andy at Cove twice and definitely the best agency in SE WI.
People who believe the old “no one is above the law” statement needs to read some news. There are people in this country big and small who get away with anything. This is just the way it is.
But WE can make the change. It starts cleaning up your own village, town, city. Little by little, we can make a difference.
I guess the change has already begun with the cleaning of the Molinaro building. There are lots of challenges still ahead of us. If our sheriff doesn’t want to bring charges to the DA, our DA can still press them if he is aware that a crime has been committed. If that’s the case, the sheriff should explain to the DA why he chose not to press charges. Is it because the weed wasn’t dad’s?
An ordinance citation for possession of THC may be appropriate given the small amount and the fact that it’s circumstantial. Doesn’t have to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
39 law enforcement officers to arrest 2 people talk about putting on a show for what to have Sheriff help them out!! Waste of taxpayer money? The present sheriff will be the ex-sheriff after the next election.
The sheriff and the county executive are obviously this guy’s friends. He gets protected from all sides.
Holy cow.
That’s what it seems like. I wonder if the Steinbrink’s had the same prorection. They act untouchable too!
of course, But the wrong Steinbrink toke the fall, The old man grommed that boy for years how to scam the village . Open your eye on that one .
They BOTH should have been charged. Mike P and several others who are still working there(along with some who have since retired).
So glad Eric Meadows is running against Steinbrink for President!
VOTE ERIC!!! We need change to clean up Unpleasant Prairie. Look at the current board they are all voting for Steinbrink stooge Klimisch, what that means is nothing changes higher taxes and more apartment buildings does not sound pleasant to me.
If Eric wants me to consider giving him the honor of my vote he needs to step down from the county board. The county takes more money from village taxpayers than we get back. Eric hasn’t done squat about that. Which side is he on?
Correct that place is so corrupt with the stealing and personal favors not even funny,
Steinbrink has made that his personal playground on taxpayers’ money for years.
the village has purchased so much and seen so little. The whole thing goes deep john jr sitting in jail for some of his own doing
but believe me he is also the pawn to keep others out, all the way up the chain.
Besides John Jr offer your proof of all this corruption right to the top. Be very specific IF you can.
If either one of them are supporting this behavior, they are mentally impaired.
Trent and Ted Kmiec, from the bottom of my heels, to the tippy top of my scalp, fuck you.
This doesn’t add up .
39 police officers to bust a kid with some drugs. I’ve been on plenty of busts and raids for far more serious criminals with far fewer people. Has anyone done any oversight over the KSD, excuse me, KESO, budget?
Child sexual assault, child porn, and guns. Not just drugs
Thanks for all you report KCE!
kevin keep us posted and updates on this
Sounds like a conflict of interest. Maybe the Racine Sheriff should have had the lead on this one?
too bad Ted has his fingers in that pot too.
It is courageous to go after Sheriff Zoerner because I also think he is a good sheriff, esp. compared to his predecessor. Maybe he can be given another chance to respond to his inaction?
I like that Kevin calls it like it is on both sides of the isle. Thanks Kevin!
If you are upset about how corrupt Kenosha County is, you need to write to the Attorney General of Wisconsin and demand that they investigate the law enforcement and judicial systems in Kenosha County. We have known it is corrupt for years, instead of complaint about it, do something about it. If Attorney General Josh Kaul recieved thousands of letters from the tax paying citizens of Kenosha County, he would have no choice but to take action. Here is the website with ways to contact Josh Kaul.
https://www.doj.state.wi.us/ag/contact
Our tax dollars pay these people, we deserve much better!! Our voices need to be heard!
What is also very sickening is when a Detective calls DCFS and reports false allegations. So the question is… HOW MANY RAPES AND ABUSE OF INNOCENT CHILDREN has that detective or the Kenosha County Sheriff’s department NOT reported??? If a non law enforcement official reported false allegations and it was proven to be false they would be prosecuted to the fullest extent. So why isn’t he being held accountable?