Kevin Paul Richwalski, 38, was recently sentenced in the Menominee County 41st Circuit Court. (Photo courtesy of the Menominee County Sheriff's Office)

MENOMINEE – A Marinette man has been sentenced to concurrent terms of five to 10 years for various charges, including assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder.

Kevin Paul Richwalski, 38, was sentenced June 5 in the Menominee County 41st Circuit Court. After an April 2026 trial, the jury convicted Richwalski of two counts of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder and two counts of felonious assault, as well as operating while intoxicated and reckless driving.

According to Prosecutor Jeffrey T. Rogg, the jury heard evidence that late in the evening of July 1, 2025, Richwalski provoked a confrontation with three teenagers at the Lighthouse Park in Menominee, threatening to whip them with a chain and attempting to hit them with his truck.

When the teens fled in their own vehicle, Richwalksi reportedly chased them aggressively at 100 mph before crashing into a pole in the rear parking lot of the Dollar Tree store on 10th Street.

Richwalski declined to testify, and the jury ultimately convicted him of six of the eight charges brought by the prosecution.

According to a news release, Judge Christopher S. Ninomiya characterized the evidence as “overwhelming” and admonished Richwalski, saying “You could have killed yourself, those kids or others. I have no doubt that the jury got this right.”

Rogg congratulated CAPA Gerald Karafa for his work in achieving the conviction, stating “Jerry has been my partner in this office for almost seven years. This is only the latest in his ‘string of success’ on behalf of the public that we together serve.”

In a news release, Rogg further stated, “Mr. Richwalski is a dangerous criminal with 11 prior convictions in five different states. Mr. Karafa quickly recognized that Mr. Richwalski has no regard for the law or the rights and safety of others and is a threat to this community, and (Karafa) took a tough stance in trying the case to verdict and obtaining this strong sentence. Our community is better off with Mr. Karafa on the job and Mr. Richwalski in prison.”

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.