Mukwonago horse farmer headed to trial, investigated for new crime
Mukwonago horse farmer headed to trial, investigated for new crime
In court on Monday, April 13, a Waukesha County court commissioner decided Ralinda Howard was headed to trial. Prosecutors charged Howard with eleven counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
MUKWONAGO, Wis. - A Town of Mukwonago stable owner is being investigated for a new crime.
New crime investigation
What we know:
In court on Monday, April 13, a Waukesha County court commissioner decided Ralinda Howard was headed to trial. Prosecutors charged Howard with eleven counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Ralinda Howard
Investigators got a search warrant in 2025 for Howard's property after former employees raised concerns about animal mistreatment. Videos shared with FOX6 News show horses cut and bleeding, as well as dead dogs in trash cans.
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Howard was cited by Town of Mukwonago police at least 40 times. When police found the guns, prosecutors charged her with felonies.
What they're saying:
"She is a convicted felon, and she ignored the one thing she could not have – guns. And she chose to ignore it," said Jane Mortensen.
Mortensen said she met Howard a year ago. While Mortensen worries about the animals Howard still owns, she is also concerned about public safety.
Jane Mortensen
"She didn’t just have one gun; she had eleven. I recently learned that every one was loaded," Mortensen said.
Court order
Dig deeper:
After a hearing in March, Howard was under a court order to surrender all of her animals. She was also not to have any contact with whistleblower Lisa Vega.
Vega shared a letter with FOX6 News that was allegedly signed by Howard less than a week after that hearing. Vega said she gave the letter to Waukesha police.
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Prosecutors said they will review the evidence and make a determination about additional charges this week.
What's next:
Howard's attorney, Peter Wolff, told FOX6 News by phone that he did not know about the letter. He had no comment.
Howard will be back in court for another hearing next week. She was convicted in 2011 of misappropriation of identifying information.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, the criminal complaint associated with this case, and previous FOX6 News coverage.