RACINE, WI – A man charged with conspiring to commit murder is being held on a $100,000 cash bond after an initial appearance in Racine County Court.
His alleged target: A Kenosha County Sheriff’s Deputy.
Kelly Rainey, 55, of Racine, was charged Wednesday by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide, making a threat to a law enforcement officer, manufacturing/delivering cocaine with the intent of delivering it near a park, and possession of marijuana.
If convicted of all charges, Rainey faces up to 99 years, six months in prison and/or fines up to $36,000.
According to the criminal complaint, an agent with the Racine County Sheriff – Metro Drug Unit learned in July that Rainey was distributing controlled substances in Racine County during an undercover investigation. The agent set up controlled purchases of drugs using an undercover informant. During that time, he learned that Rainey asked the confidential informant to kill a Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputy.
Rainey accused that deputy of touching his chest inappropriately in 2017. The Kenosha Police Department ruled that the allegation was unfounded. He also filed a federal lawsuit against the deputy and Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, but the judge did not rule in his favor.
Calling the informant on Aug. 14, Rainey asked if the woman would help him with some legal paperwork and then later showed up at her residence. Meeting at a parking lot, he explained to the woman that he lost the case, and that “cops always get away with stuff.” He then told her, he wanted the deputy “gone” and he would get her a “thing,” which he later referred to as a gun, to kill the deputy.
The two agreed that he would pay her $100 to rewrite a brief for him in his case, a $200 down payment to kill the deputy and he would get her a gun. Once completed, he would then give her another $200 to kill the deputy. He then instructed the confidential informant to conduct surveillance at the Kenosha Police Department and Kenosha Detention Center.
Officers with the Racine Police Department conducted a traffic stop hear 16th Street and Villa. As the officers took Rainey into custody, he promised to sue the department and that he was innocent, according to the criminal complaint.
While searching his residence, they found legal documents with his name on them, a bag of marijuana that weighed 28.5 grams, $300 and pill bottles.
In a statement to police, he told them he doesn’t sell drugs and that he is “too (expletive) dumb” to do so. But he admitted to buying marijuana and he was going to give it to his girlfriend.
“When asked about attempting to hire the informant to kill (the deputy), Rainey changed the subject,” the complaint reads. “Rainey admitted to an early morning meeting with the informant and meeting with the informant again later in the morning.”
He told the police he hoped he wouldn’t be revoked and “to tell Kenosha he would be willing to drop everything.”
Days later, the informant told investigators that Rainey left her a voicemail asking her to do him a favor and “just get rid of this (expletive) pig for me. (Expletive) police department are going to pay.”
A preliminary hearing has been set for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 28.