KENOSHA, Wis. – Anthony J. Cooks is a name that’s become synonymous with repeat criminal behavior in Kenosha County. Despite being given more chances than most offenders ever see, this 30-year-old man has repeatedly chosen violence, drugs, and fraud over turning his life around. The court record reads like a rap sheet spanning nearly a decade and a half, marked by probation revocations, jail stints, and felony convictions.

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Cooks’ criminal career began young. In 2011, at just 17, he was charged with theft (2011CM1721). He pleaded guilty, receiving a lenient one-year probation. That grace didn’t last. When his probation was revoked, he landed five months in jail.

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By 2012, Cooks had escalated to violence. In case 2012CF000365, he faced serious charges including attempted robbery and substantial battery near a school. Prosecutors dismissed bail-jumping charges, but he still received five years’ probation and a year of work release. It was revoked, and once again he was back behind bars. That same year, in 2012CF000748, Cooks pleaded guilty to battering another inmate while at the Kenosha County Detention Center and violating jail rules. He received another year of probation and five months of work release.

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In 2013 (2013CF001004), Cooks was caught with marijuana packaged for sale. Probation was again his initial punishment, but predictably, it was revoked, and he spent 30 days in jail. By 2014 (2014CF000945), his drug charges escalated to a felony—possession of THC (2nd+ offense) within 1,000 feet of a park. He served four months and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

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Violence resurfaced in 2015 (2015CF000484), where he pleaded guilty to battery and disorderly conduct as a repeater. The felony charge was dismissed, but he got two years’ probation and nine months of work release. Again, probation failed to reform him.

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In 2018 (2018CF000717), Cooks was caught with 117 grams of marijuana, intending to sell. He received two years’ probation and community service. When that was revoked, he went to prison for a year, followed by a year of extended supervision.

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By 2020 (2020CF000847), he had graduated to being a convicted felon caught with a firearm—a crime that carries significant prison time. He got a year of work release.

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His 2022 case (2022CF001110) was dismissed, but by 2023 (2023CF001687), Cooks was running financial scams, pleading guilty to defrauding a financial institution of over $500. He received three years of probation and one year of work release.

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In 2024, he was back again (2024CF000261), pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three felony bail-jumping charges and a concealed weapon charge were dismissed in a plea deal. He was given five years’ probation and a year of work release. Another 2024 case (2024CF001542) was dismissed.

On July 29, 2025, Cooks appeared before Judge Anthony Milisauskas for sentencing in multiple cases. He was placed on concurrent probations totaling five years, each with a year of work release. He was taken into custody on the spot.

A Pattern of Danger
Cooks has proven, time and again, that leniency doesn’t work. He is a repeat violent offender who has assaulted people, carried illegal weapons, and engaged in fraud. His history of probation violations paints the picture of someone who simply doesn’t care about second chances—or third, fourth, or tenth.

This is not just a man with a troubled past. This is a dangerous man who has repeatedly thumbed his nose at the law, putting the community at risk. In a county that has seen its share of crime, Cooks stands out as a bad hombre who simply refuses to change.