Jailed candidate still buoyant on chances at polls

Soon after George Vera filed for office in Pasco, he was arrested in a battery. "This is a setup,'' he says.

By DAVID DeCAMP, Times Staff Writer
Published December 23, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT His arrest has brought publicity to his campaign for a County Commission seat, says George Vera.

LAND O'LAKES - One week, George Vera began a campaign to be elected to the Pasco County Commission. The next week, he landed in jail.

Vera, 62, of Hudson, has been held at the Land O'Lakes jail since his arrest Dec. 5 on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery. He filed Nov. 28 to run against County Commissioner Jack Mariano in next year's GOP primary.

Vera was charged after he tried to get an unwilling 12-year-old girl to give him a hug, according to Pasco Sheriff's Office reports. At his arraignment, his bail was raised from $500 to $5,000, and he was ordered not to come within 500 feet of the girl or her mother. He was being held last week in the psychiatric evaluation wing of the jail, although police and jail officials say he's not under any court-ordered evaluation.

Handcuffed and wearing an orange-and-white jumpsuit, Vera told the Times in an interview Friday that he won't give up his campaign despite the charge. The native of Puerto Rico also said he doesn't need mental evaluation because his only health issue is diabetes.

"This is a setup, I can tell you," he said.

Vera also he said does not know when he will get out of jail in the latest in a series of scrapes with trouble - he has no money to pay a bail bondsman. He cannot afford a lawyer, either

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Vera has been arrested 18 times since 1995, and his charges include felonies such as battery on a person age 65 and older, larceny and burglary. Sometimes, the charges were dropped, like one for auto theft in 2000.

Other times, he pleaded to lesser misdemeanors, avoiding felony convictions for the felony battery count in 1998 that would prohibit him from voting or running for office.

In 2000, for example, he was sentenced to six months and two days in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery instead of the original felony charge, according to state and county court records. In 2004, he pleaded no contest to indecent exposure, a misdemeanor. His sentence was 116 days, time served, court records show.

"You know what I hear when I go to court? I hear: 'You plead no contest, you go home. You don't, you go to jail,'" Vera said.

On Dec. 5, Vera was arrested outside the Holy Ground, a homeless shelter in Hudson where he had stayed. A girl was checking the mail nearby after getting off the school bus. According to sheriff's office reports, Vera grabbed the girl's wrist after twice being turned down for a hug, two witnesses told police.

Vera said in an interview he only asked for a hug from an acquaintance, and did nothing wrong. Like prior times, he said, authorities treated him unfairly, sending his life down another troubled path.

Vera said a son, Charles, died 24 years ago at age 14 from an unchecked asthma attack. His auto sales businesses have gone under. He went through bankruptcy and divorce.

But he said he has always wanted to help people. He wants to start a religious nonprofit center - and said he seriously wants to win office to improve bus service and have a citizens review board of the sheriff's office.

"Mariano's not done nothing to help nobody," Vera said.

He signed the county's ethical campaign practices statement and opened a campaign account.

Even that had a bump. His initial campaign treasurer resigned two days into Vera's run. His last act as a free candidate was changing his bank account for campaign donations 22 hours before his arrest.

Still, Vera said he has big-name friends for support. But Bill Bunting, chairman of the Republican Party of Pasco County, said he wouldn't know Vera if he saw him on the street. Mariano, finishing his first term, said he has served residents well. He will launch his re-election bid after New Year's, and "campaign hard, no matter who else is running."

Vera also said he realized something as he was being driven away in the police car Dec. 5.

"I'm having the best publicity I'll ever get, and basically it is because of this," Vera said.

Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com or 800 333-7505, ext. 6232.

[Last modified December 22, 2007, 20:27:21]