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Kenosha Alderman John Ruffolo charged with stalking ex-girlfriend

Posted at 6:56 PM, Aug 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-17 10:14:18-04

A Kenosha alderman has been charged with a felony for stalking his ex-girlfriend. G. John Ruffolo made his first appearance in Kenosha Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon.

“The defendant’s behavior was daily sometimes hourly against this victim,” said the state prosecutor.

According to court records, Ruffolo is accused of stalking a Mt. Pleasant woman for the past two and a half years. Ruffolo’s ex-girlfriend claims she told him not to contact her after they broke up in 2014. She said he continued to call, email and lurk outside her home and workplace.

“They’re recorded by video cameras on the victims home,” the prosecution said. “They’re recorded by persons at her work surveillance at work.”

The criminal complaint shows the woman alleges Ruffolo even followed her on one occasion. 

“The defendant still managed to pull behind and follow the specific person’s vehicle for over 15 miles while the specific person was trying to run errands,” the criminal complaint said.

The ex-girlfriend told police Ruffolo’s attempts were causing emotional stress and she feared for her safety.
Mt. Pleasant Police warned Ruffalo twice, yet the alleged victim said he continued to call from “spoofed” numbers and frequently stopped by her home.  Back in May, investigators were after their own evidence. They put a hidden tracking device on Ruffolo’s car.

“They’re recorded by GPS devices which were placed on the defendant’s vehicle with warrants authorized by courts,” said the state attorney.

Police provided the courts with a list of nearly 50 times when Ruffolo was pinged in the area of his ex-girlfriend’s home or workplace.

“Here we have an individual who is 54 years old with no record whatsoever who is a lifelong member of this community,” said defense attorney Patrick Kafferny.

Ruffolo did not speak at his initial court appearance. His attorney claimed he would not be a threat to society if he made the $10,000 cash bond. 

“There are no allegations of any use of weapons, there’s no allegation of claims or threats to use force against this person named,” Kafferny said.

The city of Kenosha has remained tight-lipped about the allegations. The Kenosha mayor did not return our calls and wasn’t in his office when a TODAY’S TMJ4 crew stopped by.

Ruffolo is due back in court Aug. 25 for his preliminary hearing. If convicted on the stalking charge, he could face up to three years in custody. 

Read the full criminal complaint here.