(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — A Kenosha man accused of leading police on a reckless, high-speed pursuit nearly two years ago is now facing new criminal charges stemming from a series of threatening phone calls made while he was behind bars.
Steven M. Pokorny, 30, remains in custody at the Kenosha County Jail on multiple criminal cases, including a 2023 felony complaint that sat unresolved for nine months before he was finally arrested on March 21, 2025. He made his initial court appearance three days later, on March 24, where Court Commissioner William Michel II set cash bail at $25,000.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
The original charges — which include felony fleeing an officer, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and misdemeanor bail jumping, all as a repeater — stem from a May 18, 2023 incident in Pleasant Prairie. According to the complaint, Officer Brandon Matz of the Pleasant Prairie Police Department attempted to pull over a silver Chrysler 300 for lacking a rear license plate. The driver, later identified as Pokorny, initially appeared to comply but then sped away, initiating a dangerous chase.
Police say Pokorny reached high speeds, ran a red light, nearly collided with a semi-truck, and ultimately crashed the vehicle into a tree before fleeing on foot into a wooded area. Although officers were unable to locate him that night, evidence found in and around the abandoned vehicle—including an ID, social security card, and personal items—linked him to the scene. A Wisconsin Department of Transportation records check revealed Pokorny did not have a valid driver’s license and was under suspension. Officers also discovered he had an active misdemeanor warrant out of Racine County and a felony warrant out of Jacksonville, Florida.
The criminal complaint also notes that the car he was driving belonged to a woman who later admitted Pokorny had been behind the wheel, though she initially gave conflicting stories.
Though a warrant was issued for Pokorny on June 28, 2023, it wasn’t until March 21 of this year that authorities were able to arrest him on that case.
But his legal troubles didn’t end there.
On May 13, 2025, Kenosha County prosecutors filed a second criminal complaint against Pokorny for conduct that allegedly occurred just weeks earlier, while he was incarcerated at the Kenosha County Jail. In that case, he faces two new misdemeanor counts: telephone harassment with a domestic abuse modifier and bail jumping — again as a repeater.
According to the complaint, on April 27, 2025, Pleasant Prairie police were dispatched to a residence after receiving a report of threatening jail calls. A woman told police her daughter had been receiving frightening messages from an inmate at the jail who told her to “put the baby down because she was going to die later in the night.” That inmate was identified as Pokorny, who allegedly made the calls to a woman with whom he shares a child.
Responding Officer Joshua Girdaukas arrived at the residence and spoke with the woman, identified in the complaint as Kaylnn Brown. She was on the phone with Pokorny at the time and placed the call on speakerphone. Officer Girdaukas reported hearing Pokorny shout profanities and issue direct threats, including:
— “You will die.”
— “I’ll kill you no problem.”
— “I’ll make you f—ing maggot food.”
— “When I beat your face in, that didn’t work.”
Brown told officers she was afraid for her life and wanted to press charges. Records show Pokorny called her phone 67 times over a three-day period. Jail staff later confirmed the calls were placed from inmate accounts associated with Pokorny. During one particularly disturbing call, he allegedly said:
“Stop answering the calls and see what happens… I feel like a threat is something that someone will not go through with. I don’t threaten you… You will die… I’ll kill you in a f—ing heartbeat… I’ll make you f—ing maggot food… That will be the last call that you make in your f—ing life.”
The complaint also notes Pokorny was under a no-contact order issued by an Indiana court, prohibiting him from any form of communication with Brown or their infant son. The order was part of a separate criminal case in Lake County, Indiana, where Pokorny was convicted of felony intimidation in March 2025. Prosecutors say he violated that order by contacting Brown repeatedly and issuing violent threats.
Brown later emailed police on April 30 to recant her statement and express a desire to drop the charges, saying her mother had pressured her to report the threats. However, officers had already obtained recordings and transcripts of the calls and maintained that the threats were real and serious.
Pokorny’s bail in the second case was set at $1,000. He remains in custody.
Both cases are assigned to Judge Gerad Dougvillo, with the next court date scheduled for July 31, 2025.
One Response
Deport him!