Vargas Remains Undecided About Agreeing to Plea Bargain

A senior deputy district attorney for Santa Barbara County is under the impression that boxer Fernando Vargas has agreed to a plea bargain in connection with a 1999 beating, but Vargas’ manager, Rolando Arellano, says that isn’t necessarily so.

The two sides agree that Vargas will be in court to face the charges May 7, two days after he faces Wilfredo Rivera in an El Paso, Texas, fight.

Vargas and four co-defendents were arrested in July, 1999 after Doug Rossi, 23, was assaulted in a Montecito home.

Vargas could face up to nine years in prison if convicted.

“My expectation is,” said prosecutor Hilary Dozer, “that Fernando Vargas will be in court on May 7 to plead guilty or no contest.”

Although Dozer said Vargas will probably avoid prison with a plea, the former International Boxing Federation 154-pound champion could face community service or another form of alternate sentencing.

“At this point in time,” Arellano said, “there is no agreement. We have to see how it affects Fernando’s schedule.

“After his fight, we will have to see what is lined up for him and what is in his best interests.

“We have to talk to HBO. We have to talk to his corporate sponsor [a beer company] as far as appearances and their advertising campaign. We need feedback from them. We want to see if alternate sentencing may conflict with his schedule. Without those facts, any decision would be premature.”

If Vargas refuses to plea bargain, the case will go to trial.

The other co-defendents pleaded no contest last Friday.

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Promoter Bob Arum and Staples Center officials finalized a deal Monday for light heavyweight champion Roy Jones’ first Los Angeles fight.

Jones will face little-known Julio Gonzalez on July 28 on a card that will also include title defenses by two featherweight champions, World Boxing Council titleholder Erik Morales and World Boxing Assn. champ Derrick Gainer. Morales will face Injin Chi of Korea. Gainer will take on Juan Manuel Marquez.