Former Village People frontman Victor Willis plans to accept a plea deal on drug and weapons charges tomorrow in hopes of securing drug rehabilitation rather than prison time, said his publicist.
A judge announced last week Willis has two possibilities when sentenced if he agrees to plead no contest: either a two-year state prison term or a three-year, eight-month sentence with county jail time and rehabilitation. The catch is Judge Mark Forcum will not choose until after Willis agrees to the plea and a probation report is compiled prior to sentencing. A previous report was “very negative,” Forcum said.
At the prior hearing, defense attorney Paula Canney indicated her 54-year-old client would likely enter a plea Wednesday with celebrity attorney Mark Geragos at his side. An announcement by Willis publicist Alice Wolf announcing his new Web site is the first time however his plans were definitely stated.
“Victor Willis ... will accept a plea deal that will almost certainly result in his release from custody and transfer to a residential drug treatment program as opposed to the prison time he had initially faced,” Wolf stated.
Since his last arrest, Willis has been enrolled in Choices, the county jail’s rehabilitation program. The prosecution and Forcum haven’t been opposed to treatment but want to ensure the program is stringent and Willis doesn’t receive preferential treatment because of his celebrity.
Wolfe said she was unable to discuss the specifics of the plea deal because Geragos is still negotiating last-minute changes but “it’s safe to say that a plea deal would not about to be accepted, if his lawyer thought there was a good chance of Victor serving additional time.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said he is unaware of any last-minute tweaking.
Willis is currently facing three cases in San Mateo County — a September conviction on drugs and weapons for which he failed to appear for sentencing, a parole violation and new drug charges lodged when police finally caught up with him and a female companion during a traffic stop in March.
He faces up to four years and four months in prison on the first case alone after his bail jumping voided a 16-month prison plea bargain. His time on the run also inspired segments on America’s Most Wanted.
Willis is planning a return to singing and a book about his time with the popular 1970s group, the Village People. Wolf launched the Web site www.victorwillisworld.com to keep up with Willis’ life and progress, she said.
Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com. |