Ron Villaneuva, the Republican candidate in the 21st district, has decided to attack Democratic Delegate Bobby Mathieson for a vote on a failed bill that would have allowed certain nonviolent felons to work on school property. The quote you see to the left comes from a mail piece that Villanueva has put out.
How Ron may have voted on that legislation we will never know. But we do know that he testified as a character witness on behalf of a convicted felon, and he wanted the man – who pleaded guilty to abduction and attempted rape – to be set free. He wanted a violent felon among us.
The case came to light back in 2006, when one of Villaneuva’s opponents, French Donald Mackes, Jr., called him “soft on crime.” The man in question was Anthony Fradillada, who is a convicted sex offender.
Mackes, at the request of the victim, sent a letter to The Virginian-Pilot. An article from April 7, 2006 states:
“According to the crime victim, in court during April 2004, Villanueva testified that the Filipino community would support Fradillada and that Fradillada did not need to serve jail time for his crimes against her,” Mackes’ letter states.
[…]
In an interview Thursday, the victim confirmed that she had sent e-mails about the case to the candidates …
“I just think the public needs to know the truth about a representative of the community,” she said. “I think it could affect the election and maybe it should. Maybe he shouldn’t represent us again.”
Villanueva defended his involvement in the case, and touted the endorsement of – surprise – Sheriff Paul Lanteigne in responding. And he denied that his testimony included the comment that Fradillada, a family friend and member of his church, should not receive jail time.
“I spoke on behalf of him getting proper treatment and help while he was incarcerated,” Villanueva said. “I said he needed to receive counseling. The sentence was just. This kid needed some help. I didn’t condone what he did.”
The newspaper let Villanueva off the hook by not checking what he remembered he said versus what he did say. The transcript of his testimony at the sentencing hearing tells a different story (emphasis mine).
I’m here today to speak on his behalf. You know, it’s unfortunate the circumstances that we’re here for. I believe Anthony has done his time. He’s very redeemable, and we need to give folks like him another opportunity, a second chance so that he can prove himself and be the person that he was always meant to be, a good upstanding citizen.
Done his time? Really? According to the Virginia Courts Case Information, Fradillada commited the crime on January 7, 2003. The record shows that he was arrested the next day; however, what it doesn’t show was whether he was incarcerated at that time or granted bail. For the sake of argument, let’s assume that he was jailed without bond. It appears that he pleaded guilty on January 20, 2004. The sentencing hearing, in which Villaneuva testified, was held three months later, on April 20, 2004.
So had he been in jail the whole time, it would have been a little over 16 months. And Villanueva thought that was enough time for a man who pleaded guilty to abduction and attempted rape? As a woman, I’m outraged. Fortunately, the court saw fit to sentence Fradillada to 14 years in prison – 7 years each on the two charges – although it suspended nine years. The suspended part of the sentence was predicated upon Fradillada being on good behavior for 14 years, supervised probation upon his release from prison, payment of court costs, completion of the After Care Program and no contact with the victim or her family.
(Oh – and there’s nothing in the testimony about Fradillada receiving counseling or any other kind of treatment, although Villaneuva did mention that he was Fradillada’s mentor. As for him being a kid, the offender detail linked above shows that Fradillada is now 32 years old. Six years ago when the crime was committed, he was 26 – hardly a kid.)
I’m told that Fradillada was released in 2007, which means, if he was in prison from January 2003, he served less than the five years to which he was sentenced. He is, however, on probation and lives in Chesapeake. He works in both Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Ron Villaneuva supported the early release of a violent felon – a sex offender, no less – into our community. Bobby Mathieson, a 27 year veteran of the Virginia Beach Police, worked to put guys like Fradillada in jail. He also served on the Crime Commission’s Sex Offenders Task Force.
And he hasn’t stopped. In 2008, his first year in the legislature, Mathieson’s bill to have the state police transmit the sex offender registry to the DMV and require them to appear at the DMV and have a photograph taken passed the legislature, one of two sex offender related bills he got passed that year. In 2009, he introduced two other sex offender related bills.
Given this history, I think it takes a whole lot of guts to harp on a single vote for a failed bill.
By the way – the day that Villaneuva testified, there was a City Council Budget Workshop regarding the FY 2004-2005 Resource Management Plan. Guess who wasn’t there when the meeting started? Yep. Villanueva. One of those 105 meetings that he’s missed or been late for. I suppose testifying for his mentee was a bit more important.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
The felon bill Mathieson voted for was opposed by Joe Bouchard and Democratic Leader Ward Armstrong, and even Steve Shannon who is running for AG.
But Mathieson thinks it’s a good idea to have felons on school property working around our children
I notice that you conveniently failed to address the topic of this post. Are you with the Villaneuva campaign?
As for those nonviolent felons in that bill, if Villaneuva thinks a violent felon should have a second chance, why deny that to nonviolent ones?
Sorry… I am not normally a person who comments on these blogs. Vivian I like most things you say but because I personally know all the parties from Ron to the Fradillada to the Victim I feel I should clear up something you left out. Fradillada never touched the victim, not that what he did was right but he was out to hurt himself. A statute that event the Judges in VA think should be changed put Fradillida in this catagory. Fradillida walked in and found his twin brother had killed himself in a horrible way. That is what Ron meant about he had “done his time” Fradillida was never the same after finding his twin dead. years he suffered and never got the proper help to teal with it. The “help” that Ron points out been part of the sentence from the Judge. Frad plead guilty from day one against the suggestion of his Atty and event the states Atty. Ron knew the boy from a small child. Knew all the good that Fradillida and the family had done in this community and he chose not to turn his back on them. It’s a shame this has become a nasty attack. All the parties have dealt with this and moved on. Now politics are digging it back up. Ron was not the only community leader to come to comment on Frads behalf. The boy had never had a criminal charge before or after, college grad, Marine with honors, huge community volunteer, etc. etc. He made a mistake and did his time. Ron should not be punished for his crime or for doing the right thing and telling his history with the family. I would do the same thing if I could! Please don’t think I am at all giving Fradillada a pass, he did a crime and deserved what he got. But this was not a Public issue to be voted on. This was a “family” issue that Ron did the right thing on. Also… Ron has one of the best attendance records on council 93%!!! to point out the missed meetings is just silly. I will be at the poles working the Dem line as always but on this issue it seems we are grasping at straws.
Again read the court report. Allegedly the abduction was he would not let her their home for about 20 minutes. During that time they both had been drinking and the victim gave Fradillida her prescription drugs. This is the part that everyone wanted Fradillida to not plead guilty on. Do you know how many times people have been in an argument and slammed a front door and said “your not leaving till im finished” Heck.. if that’s the law I have been abducted a bunch!