(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Flock Camera Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A John Doe petition filed more than five months ago by Kenosha County Eye Editor Kevin Mathewson has now resulted in criminal charges against former Kenosha County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank D. McGrath. Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis formally charged McGrath Wednesday with two felony counts of misconduct in public office for allegedly using powerful law-enforcement surveillance systems, including FLOCK and Polaris, to surveil a fellow deputy who broke up with him. Each Class I felony carries a maximum sentence of 3½ years in prison and a $10,000 fine, meaning McGrath faces a combined maximum of seven years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
The charges represent the culmination of a process that began publicly on March 6, when Mathewson filed a John Doe petition asking a Kenosha County judge to force scrutiny of conduct that had already been extensively documented by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office. Mathewson’s petition specifically alleged that McGrath’s repeated personal use of FLOCK license-plate cameras and the Polaris squad-tracking system constituted felony misconduct in public office. At the time, records obtained by KCE showed McGrath had been permitted to resign through a negotiated separation agreement, while the matter had not been referred to the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office for criminal review.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Sheriff David Zoerner (R) had declined to have McGrath’s conduct criminally investigated before KCE intervened. Zoerner was facing a tough re-election campaign and wanted McGrath not to face criminal charges.Mathewson learned in March that despite the Sheriff’s Office already having conducted an extensive internal investigation, the evidence had never been forwarded to Solis for a charging decision. Mathewson then provided the evidence himself through the John Doe process. Only later did Kenosha County arrange for the Racine County Sheriff’s Office to conduct an outside investigation.
After Kenosha County Eye published this story, the sheriff directed Lieutenant Chase Forster to send out a press release just before 9:00 p.m. containing many false statements, including that the sheriff sought an independent third party investigation.
The criminal complaint filed Wednesday largely confirms the central evidence KCE placed before the court months ago. According to prosecutors, a routine October 2025 audit by Kenosha County Sheriff’s Capt. Eric Klinkhammer discovered that McGrath conducted 16 to 17 FLOCK searches in approximately four hours on September 30, 2025, while off duty. McGrath allegedly labeled every search “Suspicious” while leaving the case-number field blank. The searches included filters for a Nissan, Illinois vehicles and ultimately the Illinois license plate belonging to the female deputy with whom McGrath had been involved. Prosecutors say there was no active law-enforcement investigation or legitimate law-enforcement purpose for searching her vehicle.
The alleged conduct went substantially beyond FLOCK. Prosecutors say McGrath logged into the Sheriff’s Office Polaris system 40 separate times while off duty between July 18 and October 23, 2025, without a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, to monitor the woman while she worked. Polaris provides users with live GPS locations of squad cars and body-worn cameras. On one occasion, prosecutors allege McGrath contacted the woman while she was parked near another deputy and correctly identified both her location and the coworker sitting near her, telling her, “I know everything.”
Prosecutors also cite text messages in which McGrath allegedly acknowledged lying about his FLOCK use and admitted his conduct had “got out of hand” and that he had “lost control.” Referring to the 17 plate searches, McGrath allegedly wrote that it made him “look really really bad.”
KCE has learned that the fellow deputy did not wish to pursue a stalking prosecution. That decision was beneficial to McGrath because the allegations went considerably beyond database misuse and included claims that he drove past her Illinois home, monitored her whereabouts and continued attempting to obtain information about her after being placed on administrative leave. The criminal complaint says she ultimately sought a restraining order in Lake County, Illinois.
The evidence supporting the two misconduct charges, however, had already been extensively developed by Kenosha County before Mathewson filed his John Doe petition. KCE’s March 6 filing identified approximately 16 FLOCK searches and approximately 40 off-duty Polaris accesses and specifically argued that the conduct could constitute felony misconduct in public office. The criminal complaint filed Wednesday now alleges the same essential conduct: 16 to 17 FLOCK searches and 40 off-duty Polaris logins.
“I wish these charges would have been filed three or four months ago, because the evidence was overwhelming and had already been extensively reviewed by Kenosha County,” Mathewson said Wednesday. “But they have finally been filed, and that is what matters. Hopefully this sends a message to other law-enforcement officers that these incredibly powerful surveillance systems are not their personal toys. At a time when FLOCK cameras are already extremely controversial, the public needs to know that abusing them for personal purposes can have serious consequences.”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
The case also illustrates the unusual but important role Wisconsin’s John Doe law can play when ordinary channels fail to produce a charging decision. After Mathewson filed his petition March 6, District 2 Chief Judge Wynne Laufenberg (D) on March 11 ordered Solis to either file charges against McGrath or submit a written explanation explaining why he would not. When the original 90-day period passed in June, Solis asked the court for additional time to complete his review. Wednesday’s filing answers the central question raised by the John Doe petition: prosecutors now believe there is probable cause to charge McGrath with two felonies.
The McGrath prosecution also stands in sharp contrast to the handling of a similar FLOCK-abuse case in neighboring Racine County. Racine County Deputy Emil Ortiz was internally found to have repeatedly used FLOCK and other restricted law-enforcement databases for personal purposes involving his girlfriend’s former boyfriend. Ortiz was demoted from detective to deputy, suspended for 10 days without pay and reassigned to patrol after investigators substantiated numerous policy violations. Records showed Ortiz acknowledged the misconduct and waived his right to a hearing.
Mathewson later filed a separate John Doe petition seeking criminal scrutiny of Ortiz. Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson ultimately declined to prosecute Ortiz. KCE has reported that Hanson has taken the position that she will not prosecute law-enforcement officers merely for FLOCK-policy violations, a position that makes Wednesday’s McGrath charges particularly significant because prosecutors in Kenosha County are now treating alleged personal misuse of law-enforcement surveillance technology as felony misconduct in public office.
McGrath’s case also provides a concrete example of a citizen using Wisconsin’s John Doe statute to force review of alleged criminal conduct that otherwise had not been presented to prosecutors. When Mathewson filed the petition in March, the Sheriff’s Office’s own investigation had already uncovered the FLOCK and Polaris evidence. KCE’s petition put that evidence before the court and asked for a determination of whether McGrath’s conduct constituted a crime.
“This is exactly why the John Doe statute exists,” Mathewson said. “A citizen shouldn’t have to be a prosecutor or wear a badge to ask a court to look at compelling evidence that a crime may have occurred. In this case, the Sheriff’s Office had the evidence, but the district attorney didn’t have it until KCE got involved. Five months later, there are now two felony charges.”
The newly filed complaint contains additional evidence obtained after KCE initiated the John Doe proceeding. Investigators executed a Google search warrant on March 17 and obtained records that prosecutors say included searches by McGrath for terms including “signs of obsession,” “codependent relationship,” “kenosha county loudermill hearing,” “kenosha county brady list,” “wisconsin jury instructions for stalking,” and searches concerning the female deputy’s personal information.
McGrath, 45, of Salem, is charged in Kenosha County Circuit Court case 2026CF001160. Count one alleges misconduct in public office between July 18 and October 23, 2025. Count two alleges misconduct in public office on September 30, 2025. Both are Class I felonies.
A summons was issued Wednesday ordering McGrath to appear for his initial appearance on September 17 at 1 p.m. in Pretrial Building Courtroom 157 before Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum.
31 Responses
Well done Kevin!
Good work Kevin.
Flock cameras should be cut down
It’s not the cameras, it’s the systems and people that abuse them, not to mention Jabba the Hutt that won’t prosecute. Do you think everyone’s ring doorbell or home security cameras should be smashed?
That’s a ridiculous comparison. Individual people have access to individual ring doorbell or home security cameras monitoring their own property (with some peripheral view). FLOCK has innumerable cameras which can be monitored by innumerable people. The likelihood of misuse and scope of that misuse are substantially different.
Why do you want a mass surveillance state so bad? Keep bootlicking
Because society is going in the wrong direction!!! If you’ve got nothing to hide then why care?
This person needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But seriously why not? My neighbors van hasnt been registered since 2024. He said they ain’t stopped me yet and I will register it when they do. People dont stop at stop signs, mass tinted windows with weed aroma permeating thru the cracked open windows. Ignoring speed limits etc etc etc
Prison won’t treat him kindly
Spoiler alert…..he’s not going to prison
Corruption in Kenosha county….. are you serious??!!!!!!
This kind of story captures the difference in journalism before and after KCE came along. Before the EyE, the monopolistic Knews would never have published news like this, choosing instead to fill its pages with social trivialities. That was simply the way things were.
This is why, for all its flaws, this town needs KCE.
… instances of our own District Attorney going after our own County and other local government employees when valid instead of recusing himself because of nothing else than just getting his paycheck from the same bank account.
We need to protect and prosecute our own people !! How else can we have trust in the system of government including the very people we trust to protect us from all the real bad guys !
When the “good guys” turn into criminals we need to be consistent and sure on treating them as the bonafide criminals they are.
Kudos to Xavier for stepping up and “doing his job” !!
While it shouldn’t take this type of process to make it happen we should fell lucky that this process exists.
An extra Kudos to our very own Kevin Mathewson who by his own efforts may very well prevent further escalation from this criminal that not only made one person safer but will show that there are consequences for these rogue behaviors.
A deterrent isn’t a deterrent without jail time to be examples to others.
Deterrent is a powerful word !!
But it requires actions and follow through to be effective.
Great work Kevin and also Solis. These camera’s are great tools when used lawfully. If abused the punishment must be firm otherwise there is no deterrent.
Another fine job brother Kevin. Too bad that the sumo wrestler I mean Racine county district attorney does not see things the same way that Xavier Salas sees them.
Why would you possible date a coworker? Some women are in it for attention and some men are just idiots.
Especially one that carries a weapon for their job!
Yea, it is better that they are helpless and cannot defend themselves again us manly men.
Story appeared on Milwaukee WISN and this morning on Chicago AM560….no attribution/mention/credit for KCE’s role.
This story is now getting national coverage, but it would have been buried if KCE hadn’t doggedly followed it. Great work.
Yeah, it’s getting widespread attention.
Time for all players to get a haircut, beard trimmed, and some new clothes.
I don’t always agree with your opinions, but you did great on this. I looked up the online Flock map and found that in Kenosha county, most of the cameras are east of the interstate. One is on a county road in a residential area. The road leads to the interstate. Otherwise it seems to serve no purpose.
At $2,500 – $3,000 each, our 64 cameras cost almost $200,000. One lawsuit will wipe out any savings they claim. BTW, the Flock owner/founder recommends a camera at the entrance to every subdivision. Wow.
What’s up with the LT that was escorted out a few weeks back? Is he back at work?
It is illegal and wrong to use these systems for this, but it is human nature. Any database anywhere that humans have access to will be abused by employees. Human nature will always be a factor. And nobody should hold their breath very long waiting to see prison time on a Class I felony. It could happen, but then our legal system has to incarcerate every Class I felony (lowest felony). Like when the city employees have private parties utilizing the museum and water treatment building on the 4th of July every year. Probably against policy to bring alcohol and friends onto the locked, fenced water treatment plant……..
Laws are for regular people.
Pat Hanson is astonishingly ugly.
You need to come up with a Revolving Door political cartoon depicting Zoerner and Hanson with alternate Republican and Democrat insignias.
At least we know why his boyfriend broke up with him…. Stalker
Because society is going in the wrong direction!!! If you’ve got nothing to hide then why care?
This person needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But seriously why not? My neighbors van hasnt been registered since 2024. He said they ain’t stopped me yet and I will register it when they do. People dont stop at stop signs, mass tinted windows with weed aroma permeating thru the cracked open windows. Ignoring speed limits etc etc etc
The excuse not to hear the case locally will be a conflict of interest since he’s KPD. They’ll pass this off to Woolworth County or Racine, both of which have this unwritten deal with Kenosha. More than likely Hanson will get the case as our judges love the way she rolls.
Excellent job, Kevin!
I got a mass mailing today from the U.S. Deputy Sheriff’s Association asking for donations for “bulletproof” vests for police officers. I think they are bullet resistant, not bulletproof, but that’s another story.
It says that these vests cost $600 each. So, the almost $200,000 that Kenosha law enforcement has spent on Flock cameras (not to mention continuing maintenance) would have bought 300 bullet resistant vests for our officers. I checked my math – 300 vests.
Also, the donations are apparently being collected by a retired police officer in Virginia, and the mailing was postmarked in Pennsylvania.
When I want to donate to our local police, I’ll send a check when they have a fundraiser. The Christmas for Kids event is one of my favorites. I would also donate to a fund for vests for our local officers, but it looks like our elected officials had the tax dollars for vests, and instead chose to spend it on Flock cameras.
BTW, it’s not enough to get Flock out of here. There is a larger company, Axon, that is just waiting for Flick to get evicted so that they can replace them. This is a nasty issue. I’m glad KCE is watching this.
Grand jury in Ohio last week refused to indict a man accused of damaging a Flock camera.