(Photo by Nathan DeBruin, Kenosha County Eye)
(Mugshot, Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
This story was edited on February 12th at 11:23 p.m.
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Michael A. Daniels, the failed farmer already embroiled in a string of legal and financial troubles, has finally seen the stay on his six-month jail sentence lifted — after blatantly failing to show up for a court review hearing Friday.
Daniels had previously been found in contempt of court for failing to pay court-ordered child support and a roughly $170,000 loan to his former in-laws. At that October 1, 2025 hearing, the court ordered him to make $2,500 monthly payments toward the arrears and the loan, remain current on child support, appear for all court dates, and pay his ex-wife’s attorney fees — all to keep his six-month sentence stayed.
Friday, he didn’t bother to appear.
With Daniels absent, Judge Angelina Gabriele — a jurist with no patience for games — lifted the stay and effectuated the 180-day commitment. Daniels is now ordered to begin serving his six-month sentence in the Kenosha County Jail immediately.
However, Gabriele did allow a purge release condition: Daniels can secure release from custody by paying $5,000 once he’s jailed. But the warning was explicit — if he again fails to make the ordered $2,500 monthly payments or otherwise falls behind on child support or his loan to his former in-laws, he can be jammed right back.
(facebook.com)
Daniels took to Facebook to say that hlcould not get his zoom link to work. For court. Daniels’ ex-wife previously alleged in a sworn affidavit that Daniels took that trip in January despite claiming he lacked funds, blaming his financial woes on a bad year for farming.
Criminal Case Still Pending
Daniels already has an active criminal case pending. He was charged in June with violating a harassment restraining order after allegedly threatening to murder a Kenosha man and then violating the order just days later. A witness told investigators Daniels threatened to “beat [the man’s] ass,” and warned he could have him killed and made to “disappear,” leading to the protective order that remains in effect through 2029.
Daniels was released on $500 cash bail in that case. He is next due in court on Feb. 17.
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
History of Legal and Financial Mayhem
Daniels’ troubles stretch back more than 20 years:
- His earliest conviction came in 2004 for disorderly conduct after public urination.
- In 2006, he was arrested for domestic violence and pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after a violent fight in which a relative said Daniels choked, slammed, punched, and — according to a witness — kicked him.
- In 2007, Daniels was cited for trespassing after driving farm equipment over a neighbor’s planted crops.
- In 2023, he was fined $2,581 for applying pesticide without a license.
Daniels filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in 2017 due to millions in liabilities tied to his farming operation, Crane Grain Farms, LLC.
Court judgments against him include at least:
- $158,434.44 (June 3, 2024)
- $135,236.20 (June 9, 2025)
- $13,769.50 and $7,100.19 in other civil judgments
At least 18 Wisconsin Department of Revenue tax warrants against Crane Grain Farms,LLC, all of which have been satisfied.
In some cases, Daniels has allegedly been barred from buying farm supplies on credit and must pay cash up front due to a history of late or missed payments.
Failed Farmer, Failed Compliance
Daniels’ failure to comply with purge conditions — compounded by reports he skipped his court date while possibly vacationing abroad — has now turned his stayed jail sentence into an active one. If he again neglects his obligations for child support, loan repayment to his in-laws, attorney fees, or scheduled appearances, he will serve every day of those 180 in the Kenosha County Jail.
UPDATE: Michael A. Daniels has paid the $5,000 purge amount ordered by the court, which lifts the contempt incarceration for now. The court’s underlying orders and compliance requirements remain in effect. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that none of the tax warrants filed against Crane Grain Farms LLC had been satisfied. Court records show the warrants, filed between 2021 and 2023, have since been satisfied. The article has been updated to reflect that information. Kenosha County Eye previously reported that Crane Grain Farms LLC filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Court records reflect the filing was under Chapter 12 bankruptcy protection. The article has been updated to reflect this correction. This story was also updated on 2/23/2026 at 6:27 p.m. to correct the day of the week. It was Friday, not Tuesday.
53 Responses
If this guy is in Cabo when he’s supposed to be in court, you have to wonder if jail might be necessary. What is he thinking?
A little boy and a little girl are standing on the playground. Little boy pulls down his pants and says “My daddy says I’ve got one of these and you don’t.”
Little girl pulls down her pants and says
“My mommy says with one of these I can get all of those that I want.”
Rita, move on.
Truthful jokes are always the best!
land sells easy….. order the sale of any land
Land is probably mortgaged to the max.
Is he part of the Daniels family that owns half the county out there ?
I live in the county. There are a lot of Daniels families out here. Some are related and some are not. There aren’t any of them that own half of the county.
Yeah it’s the same
No!. His dad was gary. His mom sue married bob crane
Sorry to disappoint you all but my zoom link didn’t not work
Not in jail or Mexico
Your zoom link not working is just an excuse. Even if it was true, it doesn’t matter; you failed to show up and deserve consequences. Perhaps you should get a job at Walmart as you clearly don’t have what it takes to farm LOL
If your zoom link wasn’t working, you could have called the Clerk of Court’s office. Maybe someone there would have been able to help you get connected. Instead, you just blew it off.
Your the definition of a true loser
Deserve to rot every single day of that jail sentence
Behind in child support- No one’s fault but your own , should have thought about the future before assisting in making a kid .
Hopefully you enjoyed that vacation because let’s just say that will be your last trip for quite some time !
Do as Trump, file bankruptcy. Don’t have to do it 7 times, just 1 will do.
Trump is at least successful at life, this guy not so much.
Naw… I’ll just enjoy the stock market like our President does!
Just a mess !!
…. does Rita move on to some other guy ??
He’s not exactly a catch as they say. Not in my book. I’m sure she could do better. Or do even worse if that’s what she likes.
Rita. You’ve got your own problems. Why be with someone whose problems will put them in jail ??
Find someone that isn’t dragging you down. Publicly.
Is lovely Rita ( meter maid) , still with this clown ?
Since when is Gabrielle such a ball buster?Lets all the losers off easy.
He’s not a Kerkman
What FAFO acronym was created for. Does not only apply to ICE protestors! 😆
Hey Rita,
They say Birds of a Feather
Flock Together!
Village President dating someone like this doesn’t make the village look good. What kind of trouble has she been in or currently in.
Village? Salem Lakes is one nice subdivision, a bunch of shitty homes, and like a combo gas station/Subway. No one cares.
Make sure Village Funds don’t start dissappearing
They are.
Earnest T. Bass
I think he should be called
Failed Fat Farmer.
My cousin Mike the loser!! Hope he gets it coming to him. That dipshit will never learn.
I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity to deal with incidents similar to this. Deadbeat dads who claim they have no money to pay child support. However, mysteriously they have $$ to take vacations, go out to the bar, wine and dine their girlfriends, etc. Nothing is more important than supporting your own children!
On another observation, Rita, your ex-husband was not an upstanding person and now this deadbeat is your choice of mates? I previously had the impression you were an intelligent woman. Your poor choices personally, reflect on you as a public official. Take it from one who knows! If you’re unable to make good decisions personally, how do you expect the community, who elected you, believe you’re able to make good decisions for them? Time to hit the reboot button on your life choices.
Did Uline fire her dumb ass yet ?
Nothing worse than having your girlfriend pay her own way or even your way too !!
He’s probably so broke and she so desperately wants to get away that this is how it gets to here.
Sure it’s bad he decided to not make his court dates but worse that she is going along with his decision to miss them.
The comment above in regards to Rita’s choices plays in here. Her decision to enable a failure of a person shows low self esteem and low self worth.
Maybe that explains the high hopes we had for her at the beginning and now the results of her lack of decisiveness in governing.
I’m guessing she won’t run again next year.
Might even resign this year.
We’ll see. Sad
Wow…. He’s still on the dating sites too.
Grindr?
I’m worse! Gotta start drinking in the county looks like. Suggestions, anyone?
Im to gay for grindr
Feeling blessed, Happy TG
Why does he keep his sideburns longer than his facial hair and bottom of his haircut? That’s not a thing.
Seems this guy is so broke he doesn’t even pay for haircuts, either.
We call these characters 100 dollar millionaires, they think they’re millionaires but all they got is 100 dollars to their name!
We call them popcorn millionaires. Lots of fluff, no real content
He chopped corn one year. 1100 bucks. The next year over 3000. That was 2018. I used somebody else. He should have kept bob cranes dairy going. Might not be in this mess.
That would have required him to actually work and may have been labor intensive.
No way would he done that! Looks like he has enough money for ozempic. Trying to lose some tonnage for Rita and her wallet.