KENOSHA, Wis. – Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis won a guilty verdict this week against a Bronx man prosecutors described as the accomplice in a violent 2024 carjacking. The alleged mastermind of the scheme, a Brooklyn man accused of driving the stolen SUV and causing a crash that injured a woman and a toddler, is set to stand trial early next year.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
A jury convicted 22-year-old Louis K. Adarkwah on Thursday of first-degree recklessly endangering safety after a three-day trial. Adarkwah was accused of aiding his co-defendant, 24-year-old Steffone Patrick Whitley, during the October 2024 carjacking in Kenosha. Prosecutors said Whitley played the leading role, while Adarkwah assisted him and threatened the victim with a screwdriver.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
The Crime
According to the complaint, the pair arranged to meet a man selling his Cadillac Escalade on Facebook Marketplace. After more than two hours of test driving, the seller grew suspicious. When he tried to end the ride, Whitley allegedly locked him out of the vehicle and sped away southbound on Sheridan Road with the victim clinging to the passenger side door.
As the SUV swerved through traffic, Adarkwah leaned out the window and pressed a screwdriver toward the victim’s throat, prosecutors said. The vehicle blew through a red light, struck a tree, and eventually slammed into another car in Pleasant Prairie. Inside that car was a woman and her three-year-old passenger, both of whom sustained injuries.
The Aftermath
Police said the defendants fled on foot but were arrested a short distance away. Investigators noted that neither man had ties to Wisconsin or the Midwest, with both traveling in from New York just days earlier.
During trial, Solis’ office argued that Adarkwah’s actions showed an utter disregard for human life. The jury agreed, convicting him on the reckless endangerment charge. He faces up to 12 years and six months in prison and a $25,000 fine at sentencing, which is scheduled for November 11, 2025, at 3 p.m.
The case was originally charged under former District Attorney Michael Graveley’s tenure, but brought to trial by current DA Xavier Solis. Adarkwah was represented by defense attorney Carl Johnson. After a jury question revealed that one juror was seemingly holding out, the panel ultimately returned a split verdict—finding Adarkwah not guilty of carjacking but guilty of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. Despite the acquittal on the carjacking count, Adarkwah still faces the strong likelihood of a lengthy prison sentence at his November sentencing.
The Mastermind Awaits Trial
While Adarkwah has been convicted, Whitley is set to face a jury on January 5, 2026. He is charged with the more serious counts: carjacking while armed with a dangerous weapon, three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and hit-and-run involving injury. Prosecutors allege Whitley’s driving caused the crash that left multiple people hurt.
If convicted, Whitley faces decades in prison.
This week’s verdict marks an early win for Solis’ office, but the upcoming trial of Whitley will be the true test in a case that has drawn significant attention in Kenosha and beyond.
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15 Responses
What were guys from Brooklyn and the Bronx doing in Kenosha? Does anyone know?
Attempting to steal a car.
Waiting for the next “peaceful protest”.
FIBS emptying their trash in Kenosha was bad enough.
I hope these two skid marks enjoy their stay at Dodge correctional for a decade or so.
They should write their homies in new yuck to let them know Kenosha don’t play, except they probably can’t write.
That’s wrong 😕
Because everyone knows if you want to party and drink and drive you come to Wisconsin, this year only with every 3 OWIs in the same calendar year you will get promoted to LT. position within the DOC, great deal
I’ll take drunk drivers all day, versus these feral, subhuman, society drainers. They should be put down on site.
I don’t want the weed-lovers either.
Of wins and losses for our new DA ??
One of the stories here recently was about how many cases actually get to trial in front of a judge and how many are pleaded out.
With the Kerkman Jerkman Saga happening can anyone provide a list or tote board of wins and losses by our district attorneys and assistant district attorneys ?
Not just with one judge but all of them ?
District Attorney Solis, I speak for many law- abiding citizens when I say I appreciate your hard work, your expertise, and your steadfast belief in the rule of law. Thank you, sir.
…. people who are against the rule of LAW ???
All you down voters, You should be ashamed !!
Huh. Interesting.
It’s time now more than ever for criminals to no longer using law abiding citizens rights for their protection after committing these crimes. Any criminals facing longer than five years should be deported and all united states citizenship rights and protections lost after conviction, and only 90 days for any appeals. Then evicted, removed and not welcomed for renatralization or repatriation. Its their crime, their time, and on their dime.
It won’t work. The commissioner lets them go with signature bonds. We need new judges and definitely a new commissioner. Someone useful not this disgraceful loser.
Wisconsin is a horrible state! You people still saying he use a screwdriver with what proof, Never even found the screwdriver to check fingerprints and the screwdriver was in the car the whole time, they didn’t even search the vehicle after. He beat the Carjacking charge, which required a screwdriver and he lost a 1st Degree Reckless as a passenger in a car, didn’t operate the vehicle. Just trying to ruin a young man life. he should have beat both charges. He didn’t do anything reckless or put a screwdriver to a man’s neck. He home though but still wrong he had to get time for doing nothing!